Malaysia

The 58th MATTA Fair was held at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur, from 3-5 Apr, featuring 2,051 booths. MATTA President noted that its size “continues to show strength and resilience, even amid global uncertainties”. Arba Travel and Tours stated that they notice more interest in ASEAN destinations and domestic travel. They added that people want to travel, but choose places with short travel time. Golden Destinations said China has a strong demand with visa-free entry and favourable currency

Tourism Malaysia signed an agreement with the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau to become a Strategic Tourism Promotion Partner of Sanya, China. The Sanya Tourism Development Bureau will also partner with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents and the Malaysian Budget Hotel Association to improve tourism management, product development, and visitor exchange. The new Sanya Tourism Overseas Promotion Malaysia Liaison Office will provide information and a booking platform for Malaysian travellers. There are plans to launch direct flights from Penang and Kota Kinabalu to Sanya. There is a 204% increase in Malaysian tourist arrivals to Hainan, China, since the beginning of 2026

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE) is taking steps to strengthen trade ties between Malaysia and Uzbekistan. The Uzbekistan Ambassador to Malaysia stated they will support Malaysian tour operators and promote travel to Samarkand as an important destination along the ancient Silk Road

Malaysian drivers in Thailand will face stricter traffic enforcement with fines up to RM2,385.41 (20,000 THB) and a maximum prison sentence of up to 1 year from 1 Apr. The vehicles of those who failed to settle fines within the due date will be blacklisted from entering Thailand

The Religious Affairs Minister announced that the preparations for the 2026 Haj season are going smoothly, and he has arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the Umrah and Ziarah Forum in Medina and monitor Haj preparations

Chongqing, China, welcomed 760,000 international arrivals in 2025, and the top 5 sources were Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea. Visitors from Southeast Asia account for 72% of the total overseas visitors

Vendfun, a hospitality solutions provider based in Malaysia, has appointed Murni Solusindo Nusantara as its exclusive master distributor for Indonesia, its first distributorship market outside Malaysia. Murni will oversee the distribution of Vendfun’s solutions in the Indonesian market, including marketing, promotions, exhibitions, lead generation, sales closing, installation, and technical support. Vendfun will introduce its Smart Mini Kiosk solutions to automate hotel self-check-in and check-out processes for budget and boutique hotels, Airbnbs, and hostels. Vendfun’s Chief Strategy Officer said there are more than 30,000 budget hotels in Indonesia. Vendfun has presence in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the US with over 150 kiosks. The company will launch its first installation in Thailand in Apr, and plans to expand to the Philippines and Vietnam

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will introduce facial recognition in 18 automated motorcycle lanes at land checkpoints in Singapore from 31 Mar at Woodlands Checkpoint. This will be extended to all 70 automated motorcycle lanes at Woodlands, and will be introduced at Tuas Checkpoint in Q3 2026. The trial was conducted from Jan 2026, and this will replace fingerprints as the primary biometric identifier

Due to flight cancellations to the Middle Eastern hubs, European tourists are spending more time exploring Malaysia. The Spanish Ambassador to Malaysia stated that there are about 200 Spanish travellers who were affected by the cancellations in Malaysia. Some of them travelled home via India, China, or Turkiye The Polish Embassy said there are 70 of its citizens stranded in Malaysia, and LOT Airlines arranged several commercial relief flights to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Some Polish travellers returned to Europe via Pakistan, Kazakhstan, China, South Korea, Japan and India. Several urgent medical cases were prioritised and departed to Poland from Langkawi, organised by a Polish tour operator on 6 and 13 Mar A French diplomat said there are more than 250 French people stranded in Malaysia The Italian Embassy said there are 350 Italian tourists in Malaysia

Tabung Haji announced the cost of Haj for the 2026 season will remain at RM33,300 despite the conflict in the Middle East. Tabung Haji CEO said they have secured agreements with Malaysia Airlines and Saudi Airlines in advance, factoring in the possibility of fuel price increases. He added that the agency will absorb any additional expenses. He stated that they signed a 3-year agreement to fix the overall cost, but a clause requires adjustments if oil prices exceed $90 USD per barrel

Cruise operators StarCruises and Dream Cruises announced they will apply a surcharge of $15 SGD per person per night due to the increase in fuel costs due to the conflict in the Middle East. The surcharge will apply for Genting Dream sailing from Singapore and neighbouring home ports, and to Star Voyager sailing from Singapore and Port Klang, Malaysia

Malaysia’s Consul-General in Songhla advised Malaysians to postpone travel to Southern Thailand following the fuel shortage there. The Thai-ASEAN Halal Tourism Industry Association President said the fuel shortage is expected to last for 10 days from 16 Mar. She advised Malaysians to fully refuel their vehicles before crossing the border and refuel at Thai stations in early morning as an alternative

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) President stated Malaysia’s location in ASEAN offers a geographical advantage and a competitive advantage through affordability and a strengthening currency. Malaysia records a steady growth in Chinese tourist arrivals, and more direct flights are planned to connect Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and other states. He said several routes are under negotiation. He added that despite the conflict in the Middle East, Malaysia will continue to engage with long-haul markets, especially Europe

The Government will discuss with Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) today to review the rising cost of flights and the safety of Hajj pilgrims following the conflict in West Asia. The Minister of Religious Affairs said the talks will involve Tabung Haji’s special committee set up to assess the implications, including costs, pricing, and safety of the conflict. He added that the Haj quota set by the Malaysian and Saudi Arabian governments remains unchanged. The Deputy Prime Minister said TH is negotiating with airlines to ensure the airfare for Haj pilgrims is not affected by global fuel price uncertainties caused by geopolitical tensions in West Asia

Tabung Haji is negotiating with airlines to ensure that the flight costs for Haj remain stable and do not increase ahead of the upcoming Haj season. The government has not ruled out the possibility that the cost could increase if the Middle East conflict continues

The Federal Territories Mufti has advised Muslims to delay their umrah travel until safety is restored

Apple Travel Group has noted that some of its departures have had to be adjusted in the light of airline disruptions and are monitoring developments to try to avoid travellers getting stuck at transit hubs. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) said that the intention to travel was “still very strong”, with travellers redirecting or postponing trips. The Malaysian Tourism Federation said that tour operators are seeing a “moderate” impact on travel demand, but that Malaysians are still keen to travel during festive periods

Agoda reported a 55% MoM increase in accommodation searches from visitors in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore from 20-23 Mar, in conjunction with Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr). Popular destinations are Bali, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand see a strong interest, while demand is increasing for Japan and China as well. China is among the top 5 destinations for travellers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with a 7% YoY increase

Malaysian tour groups in Europe have rerouted or extended their stays in Europe following the conflict in the Middle East affecting routes through the Middle East airports. Apple Travel Group Managing Director said a group travelling in Spain and Portugal has extended their stay in Barcelona, before flying back to Kuala Lumpur via London. The President of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) stated that travel agents have been helping affected travellers by securing seats on alternative flights and assisting with emergency arrangements. He also noted that the “intent to travel is still very strong. Travellers may simply redirect their plans or postpone their trips”. He advises those who are travelling overseas to ensure that they have travel insurance and use licensed travel agents. The Malaysian Tourism Federation President said the tour operators are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with airlines, ground partners, and Malaysian diplomatic missions to offer help to the travellers with flight rebookings, rerouting through alternative hubs and adjusting itineraries. He added that the “overall impact on travel demand remains moderate at this stage as many airlines have begun restoring limited operations and rerouting flights through safer corridors”. He said some travellers are still keen to travel during the festive seasons, with many choosing flexible bookings or alternative destinations