KOTA KINABALU – To enhance its status as a sustainable and culturally vibrant tourism destination in anticipation of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) Campaign, Tourism Malaysia conducted an engagement session with Sabah tourism industry stakeholders at Hilton Hotel, Sabah.
The engagement session was graced by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister of Sabah, YB Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew Chin Jin with the presence of Tourism Malaysia Director General, YBhg Datuk Manoharan Periasamy as well as Tourism Malaysia Board Members and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) senior officials. Also attended for the session were leading industry players, associations, airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and product owners.
The objective of this engagement session is to provide a comprehensive overview of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) Campaign and its strategic roadmap as well as updates on the incentives alongside matching grants offered by the ministry such as, Galakan Melancong (GAMELAN), Geran Sokongan Sektor Pelancongan (GSSP), Geran Sektor Penerbangan dan Carter (GSPC) and Geran Sokongan Sektor Kebudayaan (GSSK).
The VM 2026 roadmap is built on three core strategies – creating demand, increasing traffic, and prioritising target markets. Key initiatives would include branding and marketing blitz, strategic partnerships for joint promotions with tactical campaigns and market segmentation.
Furthermore, Sabah Tourism remains committed to aligning with the Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) strategy, which signifies the core qualities that established Sabah as a must-visit travel destination in Malaysia. Hence, the VM2026 theme – Malaysia: A Sustainable and Culturally Rich Destination – reflects the government commitment in attracting high-income tourists and strengthening Malaysia’s competitiveness as a top international destination.
YBhg Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia expressed the collaboration between the Tourism Malaysia and Sabah tourism industry stakeholders is a testament to the valuable synergy between the public and private sectors.
“By working together on joint initiatives and activities, we aim to further promote Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and position the country as a top travel destination. Through this non-exclusive partnership, we look forward to leveraging their expertise to support the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026,” he said.
Malaysia welcomed 38 million visitor arrivals from January to November of 2024, marking a growth of 31.1% compared to the previous years’ 29 million. The top ten tourist-generating markets were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, India, Philippines, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan.
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