IPOH: The second edition of MATTA Connect 2026, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ (MATTA) business-to-business event, was held for two days here.
The business networking event among tourism professionals from Malaysia and around the world held at the Ipoh Convention Centre (ICC), concluded yesterday.
It coincides with MATTA Fair Perak, to be held over the weekend (Aug 1 and Aug 2) at the ICC.
MATTA president Nigel Wong said MATTA Connect is an important platform that brings together international buyers and Malaysian tourism businesses, creating opportunities for long-term partnerships and expansion into new markets.
“We are introducing the state’s diverse tourism experiences and supporting Visit Malaysia 2026/2027.
“While MATTA Fair is a business-to-consumer event that promotes products and destinations directly to consumers, there is also a need to be a mechanism for tourism stakeholders to develop those products and bring them to market continually.
“MATTA Connect is that missing link in the chain, the missing piece of the puzzle,” Wong said during the opening ceremony of MATTA Connect 2026 at ICC on Wednesday.
The event was launched by Perak tourism, industry, investment and corridor committee chairman Loh Sze Yee.
Also present were the event organising chairman and MATTA’s outbound vice-president Chong Yu Ken, MATTA Perak chapter chairman Wendy Shin, and Perak Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s Perak state director Muhammad Aminuddin Abdul Majid.
Wong said the second edition of MATTA Connect, held in Ipoh, was designed not only to connect international buyers with Malaysian tourism businesses but also to showcase destinations across the country.
He said the association intended to rotate MATTA Connect among different states in future to promote a wider range of Malaysian destinations.
“This year marks the first time Tourism Perak has supported MATTA Connect, and we hope this will become a model for other states to host future editions and showcase their tourism offerings.
“In choosing Perak, we are not only shining a spotlight on everything the state has to offer but also reaffirming our belief that opportunities should never be confined to a single city or state.”
At a press conference later, he also stressed that improving connectivity was crucial for Perak’s tourism growth, particularly through better air and land transport infrastructure.
“We already have an airport, and we must be able to sell connectivity as part of our tourism packages. It would be beneficial if the state could continue encouraging more airlines to operate direct flights into Ipoh.”
Acknowledging the availability of the Electric Train Service (ETS), Wong said better land connectivity was also needed to improve visitor movement throughout the state.
He said MATTA wanted Perak to be recognised as a destination in its own right rather than merely a stopover for travellers.
“We stand ready to support Perak as it develops from a secondary tourism destination into a primary tourism destination.”
Chong said overall, about 500 delegates participated in MATTA Connect 2026, comprising around 200 sellers and 300 buyers from 14 countries.
He said the two-day event attracted international buyers and Malaysian tourism stakeholders, including travel agencies, hotels, tourist attractions, destination organisations and tourism service providers.
“For buyers, it is a chance to discover new destinations, experiences and business partners under one roof without the time and cost of individual market visits.
“We created and organised MATTA Connect with a clear purpose. We want to send a strong message to tourists and international delegates that Malaysia is ready to organise business events.”
He also thanked the Macao Government Tourism Office, which is one of their major sponsors, partners, participating organisations, speakers, buyers, sellers, the MATTA secretariat and the organising committee for making MATTA Connect 2026 possible.
