By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 12: Malaysia is aiming for a long-term and sustainable partnership with Australia that goes beyond tourism to include deeper cultural ties, improved air connectivity, and joint market initiatives.
In a Facebook post, Malaysia Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato Seri Tiong King Sing, said this followed a meeting with travel industry players Expedia Group, Ignite Group (My Holidays), and CVFR Travel during a working visit to Sydney, Australia.
He said that each meeting had its own focus, but all three showed strong interest in Malaysia’s tourism offerings and expressed an apparent willingness to collaborate.
“These sessions weren’t just about laying the groundwork for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2026; they also gave us a real pulse of the Australian travel market and offered valuable insights to guide our future strategies,” said Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and the assemblyman for Dudong.
He said, despite ongoing economic concerns in Australia, such as inflation and interest rates, outbound travel demand remains strong, with notable trends including:
- Travellers willing to spend but are opting to travel outside of peak seasons to save costs.
- ‘Joy of missing out’ (JOMO), where people are seeking more tranquil, healing, cultural and nature-based experiences.
- Social media is now becoming a major driver of travel decisions and bookings.
- Diving, cruise holidays, and educational family trips are becoming increasingly popular among Australia’s middle-class families.
“These patterns align very well with Malaysia’s diverse offerings. With the right packaging and proactive outreach, we are well-positioned to attract more Australian visitors,” he said.
He also shared that each state in Malaysia has their own distinct cultural charm, natural beauty, and culinary delights and when compared to Bali (Indonesia) or Phuket (Thailand), Malaysia holds several key advantages such as being safe, stable and family-friendly; culturally diverse and English-speaking; abundant islands and world-class diving spots; and rich food culture that’s both accessible and affordable.
Tiong elaborated that all three partners agreed that Malaysia has plenty of compelling content to offer and are ready to develop, promote, and distribute its products.
“I also proposed concrete areas of collaboration and was encouraged by the positive and responsive feedback. All parties were open to moving quickly on organising familiarisation trips to various Malaysian states for hands-on experience and content development,” he said.
In terms of exploring marketing tie-ups for VMY2026, he said that Expedia plans to launch a dedicated Malaysia page with integrated social and media campaigns, Ignite is keen to explore cruise and educational travel products linked to the UK and Australia markets, and CVFR proposed multi-destination itineraries (e.g., Penang-Phuket-KL-Sabah), targeting family travellers and the Indian diaspora.
“On the aviation front, I’ll also be engaging with Batik Air, Malaysia Airlines, and AirAsia to explore support on connectivity and fares.
“Let this be the start of a stronger relationship—where people from both our nations connect through travel, grow closer through shared culture, and move forward together, built on mutual trust and understanding,” he said. — DayakDaily
