By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 28: Malaysia must broaden its tourism appeal beyond Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu and address air connectivity problems if it wants to reverse a decline in arrivals from South Korea, says Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.
In a Facebook post, he said the warning signs were clear, with South Korean visitor arrivals to Malaysia falling by about 13 per cent from January to July this year compared with the same period last year.
The decline comes despite South Korea remaining one of Malaysia’s important source markets, with about 29.6 million South Koreans travelling overseas in 2025, yet fewer than 600,000 visited Malaysia.
In a discussion with representatives from two of South Korea’s major travel companies, Mode Tour and Yellow Balloon Tour, during Tiong’s visit to Seoul, he said one point came up repeatedly: many South Korean travellers still know Malaysia mainly for Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.
“Clearly, there is room to do more. We need to do a better job of introducing the rest of the country and the different experiences it offers,” said Tiong, who is also the assemblyman for Dudong and MP for Bintulu.
He said that during the discussion with Mode Tour, three issues were highlighted—airfare, limited seats, and unreliable flight schedules.
As for the discussion with Yellow Balloon Tour, it suggested using the global reach of Korean dramas, films, and K-pop to showcase Malaysian locations and distinctive architecture.
Tiong also said that Malaysia will explore more targeted promotions, digital campaigns, seasonal offers, and consumer events with its partners in South Korea.
“Both companies made the same point. To grow the market, Malaysia needs fresh travel products, stronger promotion, and more reliable air links. With Visit Malaysia 2026 activities continuing until the end of 2027, we hope to bring both operators to Malaysia soon for familiarisation visits and work with airlines on improving connectivity.
“The aim is simple: when South Koreans think of Malaysia, they should see more than Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. They should see a country with many places to explore.” — DayakDaily
