By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 1: Malaysia has taken a strategic step to strengthen its global tourism appeal with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tourism Malaysia and Emirates, one of the world’s leading airlines, during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai recently.
Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said the partnership is timely and aligns with Malaysia’s goals to increase international tourist arrivals and promote the country as a top travel destination ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026).
“This strategic collaboration aims to boost global arrivals to Malaysia, enhance Malaysia’s brand visibility on the international stage, and attract more travellers to experience what our country has to offer,” Tiong shared in a Facebook post today.
The MoU was signed by Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (East), Orhan Abbas, and Tourism Malaysia Director-General Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, in the presence of Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum.
Under the MoU, both parties will work together on joint marketing and promotional campaigns to position Malaysia as a premier tourism destination, highlighting its natural landscapes, cultural heritage and diverse cuisine.
Emirates also plans to organise familiarisation trips to Malaysia for media representatives and travel professionals from key international markets.
“With Emirates’ vast global network, we can strengthen Malaysia’s positioning as a preferred destination and build strong momentum leading up to VM2026. We aim to deliver a truly exceptional ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ experience to discerning global travellers,” Tiong added.
He stressed that the move also represents a timely effort to penetrate the Arab market, which has strong potential for high-spending tourism.
“Last year, Malaysia welcomed approximately 38 million tourist arrivals. This year, under the leadership of Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Ministry is targeting 45 million tourist arrivals. Current data shows that we are on track to achieve this goal,” he said.
Tiong also extended an invitation to travellers from around the world to embark on a unique journey and experience Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity and breathtaking natural beauty. — DayakDaily
