By DayakDaily Team
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4: Malaysia has identified 44 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events to be hosted in 2027, involving an estimated 69,500 delegates and targeting a total economic impact of RM1.03 billion.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said eight of the identified events were relocated to Malaysia following the geopolitical crisis in West Asia, with these alone expected to generate RM84.87 million in economic returns.
He said geopolitical uncertainties in the region had presented Malaysia with an opportunity to strengthen its position as an international events destination, with the country successfully attracting 12 MICE events affected by the crisis to relocate here.
The relocation efforts, spearheaded by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC), were expected to generate a combined economic impact of RM143.14 million in 2026 and 2027.
“Four of the events had been relocated to Malaysia between April and December 2026, with an estimated economic return of RM58.27 million.
“Overall, as of October 2026, a total of 464 MICE events had been successfully held, involving more than 800 delegations and generating an estimated economic impact of RM5.11 billion,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Tiong was responding to a question from Howard Lee Chuan How (PH-Ipoh Timur) on the strategies and proactive measures undertaken by MOTAC to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a leading international MICE destination, as well as the industry’s targeted economic contribution towards the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign.
He said efforts to attract international event organisers were supported by the implementation of the Be Fuelled-Up initiative under MyCEB, a strategic collaboration with the private sector to bring overseas-based conventions, corporate meetings and exhibitions to Malaysia.
MOTAC was also actively promoting post-conference tour packages to encourage delegates to extend their stays and spend more in the country, generating direct economic benefits for local businesses, including transport operators, hotels, service providers and restaurant owners.
Meanwhile, during the question-and-answer session, Tiong said Malaysia recorded 32.3 million international visitor arrivals from January to September this year, representing a 2.4 per cent increase from 31.5 million in the corresponding period last year.
He said the growth reflected the continued resilience of Malaysia’s tourism sector despite geopolitical challenges in West Asia, which had affected international flight routes.
Tiong clarified that international visitor arrival figures recorded by the Immigration Department of Malaysia were based on the country’s entry points and did not reflect the specific states visited by travellers. — Bernama
