GUANGZHOU, 8 March 2025 – Tourism Malaysia marked a significant milestone by hosting its first-ever consumer event in Guangzhou, China, since the pandemic, with the launch of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) Promotion Campaign from 7 th until 9th March 2025 at TeeMall, Guangzhou. This initiative is part of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s ambitious goal to attract 7 million visitors from China in 2026, one of Malaysia’s key markets driving tourism growth.

Mr. Samuel Lee, Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director General (Promotion II); Ms. Suraya Ahmad Pauzi, the Consulate General Malaysia in Guangzhou; and Dato’ Dr. Angie Ng, the President of MICA launched the three-day event on 8th March 2025 at TeeMall, Guangzhou. The collaboration with the Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (MICA) aims to connect directly with Chinese consumers.

TeeMall’s high foot traffic provides an ideal platform for Tourism Malaysia to engage with the local market and strengthen Malaysia's visibility as a top travel choice. The promotion features a diverse range of Malaysian tourism products, such as labu sayong and batik painting, highlighting the country’s vibrant culture and stunning attractions while offering exclusive tourism packages for Chinese visitors.

The key objectives of this event are to maintain the momentum leading up to VM2026, position Malaysia as a top, safe, and attractive travel destination for the Chinese market, and reinforce strong relationships with industry players in Guangzhou and beyond.

In 2024, Malaysia welcomed 3,725,894 visitors from China, marking an impressive 130.9% year-on-year growth. The extension of the visa-free policy for Chinese nationals until December 2026, coupled with increased air connectivity of 515 flights weekly, is expected to accelerate this growth, strengthening cultural ties and boosting mutual economic benefits.

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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. The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

About Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (MICA)

Malaysian Inbound Chinese Association is a registered non-government and non-profit organisation under the registrar of the Society of Malaysia. The Society was established on 21st July 2016 in Kuala Lumpur with a state branch in Sabah. The main objective of the Association is to assist and gather all tour operators and tourism-related industry members to develop Malaysia's inbound tourism by fostering ties with the Chambers of Commerce, Mercantile and Public Bodies, Government Departments in the country, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and various foreign and local associations and corporations. MICA is actively promoting Malaysia Inbound tourism to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong market globally.

For enquiries, please contact:

Azmi Abdullah
Senior Deputy Director
International Promotion Division (Asia/Africa)
azmi@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8491

Norshariza Mohd Saad
Deputy Director
Corporate Communications Division
norshariza@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8775