MIAMI, 13 May 2022 – Malaysia is ready to welcome International cruise travellers as borders fully reopen, in conjunction with Tourism Malaysia’s participation at the 2022 Seatrade Cruise Global Expo, for a three-day event in Miami from 25th to 28th April 2022 as part of efforts to promote cruise tourism and to attract more ship operators to berth in Malaysia.

Malaysia promotes its shore excursions, port facilities such as port-of-call and home-port, as well as pre- and post-cruise tours, where travellers could immerse themselves in Malaysia’s diverse cultures and bio-diversities, on land and underwater. The Malaysian delegation was led by the Vice President of Tourism Malaysia in Los Angeles, Mr. Akbal Setia.

Tourism Malaysia’s participation at the Seatrade Cruise Global Expo 2022 aimed to network and fulfil business appointments, with the Florida Travel Industry Association (TIA), the presentation of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) NTO and Pre-Scheduled-Appointment (PSA) with cruise travel industry players, and interview with local media in the USA on Malaysia’s destinations and tourism products.

Malaysia is one of the most attractive cruise destinations in the region and is also on the most round-the-world cruise routes. Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, some of the world’s best cruise ships operate in Malaysian waters and offer an excellent combination of recreation facilities, entertainment, gourmet meals, and exotic destinations.

Mr. Akbal said: “We are now back into travel normalcy; and this is the right time for us to promote our organisations and partnerships, in particular, Malaysia as the next point of embarkation for cruise travellers into Asia and Southeast Asia region.”

Also present, the State of Selangor, through its tourism agency Tourism Selangor, in promoting the Port Klang Cruise Terminal and site excursions such as visiting the Mah Meri Cultural Village, Sultan Selangor Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, Batu Caves, Sekinchan Town, Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk Tour, and many more under the “Splendid Selangor, Take Me Anywhere” programme.

Prior to the pandemic, Malaysia received more than 600 ship calls and 900,000 cruise passengers, and over the years welcomed well-known cruise liners in the industry from Celebrity Cruises, Regal Cruises, Star Cruises, Seabourn, Royal Caribbean, TUI Cruises, Holland America, and others.

Starting 1 May 2022, fully-vaccinated inbound travellers are no longer required to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 tests, including children aged 12 and below as well as for those who have been infected with COVID-19 within six to 60 days before departure to Malaysia. Travel insurance will also not be a prerequisite for foreigners entering the country.

For more information on the latest standard operating procedures (SOP) for travelling to Malaysia, visit Tourism Malaysia’s website at https://www.malaysia.travel/travel-alert or MySafeTravel portal at https://mysafetravel.gov.my/.

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About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. Prior to the pandemic, Malaysia registered 26.1 million tourist arrivals and RM86.14 billion tourist receipts, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

About Seatrade Cruise Global

The leading annual B2B event for the global cruise industry, Seatrade Cruise Global brings together buyers and suppliers from 140 countries and over 300 international journalists.

The four-day conference explores the latest trends with industry influencers and high-level cruise executives and includes the annual State of the Global Cruise Industry Keynote with the chief executives of the world’s largest cruise organizations. The three-day exhibition is the largest gathering of the cruise industry hosting over 700 exhibiting companies from all sectors including Design & Ship Interiors; Entertainment, Environmental & Health, Hotel Operations and Concessions, Information Technology, Ports & Destinations, Safety & Security, Ship Equipment & Shipbuilding.