By DayakDaily Team
SEOUL, Sept 8: Malaysia is stepping up efforts to grow its South Korean tourist market after recording 250,898 visitor arrivals from the country between January and June 2026, with strong air connectivity providing room for further growth.
According to a statement by Tourism Malaysia, the agency intensified its engagement with the South Korean travel industry during a working visit to Seoul from Aug 26 to 27, led by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Dato Sri Tiong King Sing and Tourism Malaysia Director General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim.
As of July, 45 weekly direct flights from Incheon and Busan to Malaysia were operating, providing 10,844 seats a week and giving South Korean travellers established air links to the country.
Tourism Malaysia then brought together about 60 South Korean travel agents, industry partners and media representatives at The Westin Josun Seoul for a tourism seminar and the Batik Air Trade Partner Appreciation Night.
The discussions focused on evolving travel trends, consumer preferences and business opportunities, while the trade event provided a platform to promote Malaysian destinations and explore opportunities for enhanced destination promotion and travel packages.
The agency also engaged major South Korean travel companies including Yellow Balloon Tour, Mode Tour Network, Hana Tour and Rakso Travel to strengthen cooperation and drive travel demand to Malaysia.
Malaysia’s tourism offerings were presented across several segments, including culture and heritage, nature, islands and beaches, gastronomy and experiential tourism.
Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Melaka and Langkawi were among the destinations highlighted, alongside golf and family travel, which were identified as niche segments suited to the evolving preferences of South Korean travellers.
The promotion is also backed by Tourism Malaysia’s collaboration with Batik Air, covering trade seminars, familiarisation trips and consumer campaigns supported under the Charter Flight Matching Grant (GSPC).
Through the partnership, Tourism Malaysia and Batik Air aim to strengthen Malaysia’s presence in the South Korean market, enhance connectivity and stimulate further travel demand.
Tourism Malaysia will continue working with South Korean travel trade players and airline partners to expand its market reach, improve destination accessibility and convert travel interest into arrivals as Malaysia builds momentum towards Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). — DayakDaily
