Now that Malaysia has reopened to international arrivals, Tourism Malaysia has stepped up efforts to promote the country’s tourism offerings. Key to this promotional drive will be the revival of the ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ campaign.
Tourism Malaysia has confirmed they are planning over 100 promotional activities in the coming weeks, to raise awareness of Malaysia’s unique attractions and drum up business for the tourism sector among customers in various international source markets.
“As the country’s borders are [now] officially reopened to international travellers, Tourism Malaysia is ready to re-embark on its global advertising campaign by leveraging the ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ branding in boosting inbound tourism,” the agency said in a recent statement.
Driving this revival will be a series of roadshows, joint promotions, fam trips and travel partnerships with global partners. Tourism Malaysia has confirmed they are working through their global offices, which are located in 30 countries worldwide, to promote Malaysian tourism to potential clients.
Malaysian Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri is in the vanguard of the country’s tourism recovery, and is determined to make the most of the new opportunities. Her ministry has reportedly targeted two million international tourist arrivals in 2022, with a goal of RM8.6bil in tourist receipts.
“The full reopening of borders is indeed a huge relief for the tourism industry as we welcome more international tourists, newcomers and regulars alike, to further boost our economy,” said the minister, who was speaking at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the first day of new arrivals in over two years.
Nancy also looked ahead to the future, highlighting a number of key markets expected to be key in the revival over the coming months. “The arrival of international tourists will gradually grow in 2022 from neighbouring countries, namely Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei, followed by regional Southeast Asian countries, the rest of Asia and from the medium and long-haul market,” she said.
In addition to relaunching the ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ campaign, Tourism Malaysia also released its Strategic & Marketing Plan (2022-2026) at the beginning of April in an effort to restore confidence, outline strategies and boost the country’s tourism sector. Both programmes place an emphasis on international tourism recovery, through a combination of digital technology, innovation, health and safety.
