Visit Malaysia 2026: Beyond Slogans, towards a Tourism Reset

By The Malketeer

When Malaysia last hosted Visit Malaysia Year, the campaign leaned heavily on festivals, discounts, and photo opportunities.

VM2026, however, arrives at a very different moment.

We are looking at a tourism ecosystem that is both more competitive and more fragile.

Costs are rising, labour is short, the ringgit is weak, and consumers are travelling with sharper expectations.

Industry leaders from the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) are rightly insisting that VM2026 must not be treated as a one-year fireworks display.

It must leave a trace—new habits, better infrastructure, stronger confidence in Malaysia as a destination. In other words, a reset.

The Allocation Dilemma

Matta president Nigel Wong’s call to double allocations for overseas marketing is not an extravagant ask.

With the ringgit under pressure, every trade fair, billboard, and online campaign buys less visibility than it once did.

China and India, two crucial growth markets, are not places where you can whisper your brand message.

They demand presence, stamina, and follow-through.

Yet the conversation cannot stop at marketing spend. Malaysia’s tourism sector has long been tripped up by bureaucracy.

Wong’s critique of cultural grants like Gamelan and GSSP being tangled in red tape is a reminder that “allocation” is only the first step.

Delivery is where confidence lives or dies.

Scams, Shadows and Street-Level Trust

No campaign slogan can outshine the harm of a bad tourist experience.

Wong is blunt about scams, touts, and unlicensed operators who undercut legitimate players.

They don’t just siphon off business; they stain the country’s reputation in ways glossy ads cannot undo.

If VM2026 funds are to make a difference, some must be ring-fenced for enforcement—cutting out the rot that corrodes trust.

Eradicating scams may not generate ribbon-cuttings or cheerful press photos, but it could do more to guarantee repeat visits than any number of brochures.

Hotels, ESG and the Domestic Traveller

MAH president Christina Toh widens the frame.

Her proposals—extending tax incentives to four- and five-star hotels, introducing automation grants, and rewarding ESG practices—are pragmatic responses to long-standing pain points.

Manpower shortages cannot be solved overnight, but kiosks and robotic cleaners can soften the blow.

Toh’s call to incentivise domestic travel with tax rebates is worth serious attention.

Malaysians who explore their own country become repeat spenders and unofficial ambassadors.

And as the pandemic showed, domestic tourists are the shock absorbers when borders close.

Equally forward-looking is her suggestion that tourism tax collection expand to airports, ensuring that every foreign visitor contributes, regardless of whether they stay in hotels, Airbnbs, or homestays.

This closes a fairness gap and provides predictable revenue.

Beyond Marketing: Building the Ecosystem

Tourism is not just about brochures and Instagram reels.

It is about the infrastructure that allows a visitor to enjoy the country without friction.

Well-lit pedestrian walkways, safe public transport, restored heritage buildings—these are as much part of “branding” as a glossy TV spot.

There is also the under-appreciated potential of Malaysia as a transit hub.

Turning overnight stopovers into micro-holidays is smart economics.

Working with Malaysia Airlines to structure such packages could quietly add millions in spend with relatively little cost.

The Larger Picture

VM2026 is a textbook case study for marketers:

• Messaging without delivery is empty. Allocations and slogans mean little if tourists are scammed, stranded, or stuck in traffic.
• Incentives shape behaviour. Tax breaks, rebates, and grants nudge both consumers and industry players toward desired outcomes, from domestic travel to ESG adoption.
• Trust is the true currency. A single bad review on WeChat or TikTok can neutralise months of paid advertising in China or India.
• Think ecosystems, not campaigns. Tourism drives FMCG demand, job stability, transport upgrades, and city branding. A one-year campaign should spark a decade of benefits.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid has set an ambitious target: 47 million foreign visitors in 2026, up from 38 million last year.

The budget allocations already in place—RM550 million for promotions, RM600 million for cultural site restoration, and RM110 million for facilities and ecotourism—signal intent.

But intent is not the same as impact.

VM2026 is not just about luring arrivals.

It is about securing Malaysia’s place in a crowded global tourism map where travellers compare experiences instantly and mercilessly.

The real question is not whether Malaysia can attract 47 million visitors.

It is whether those visitors will want to return—and whether the campaign will leave Malaysia stronger than it found it.