Malaysia has intensified its focus on the Indian market, setting an ambitious target of 21 lakh tourist arrivals from India in 2026 under the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign. To build strong momentum at the start of the year, Tourism Malaysia rolled out a series of strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening partnerships and boosting visitor numbers.
Tourism Malaysia made a prominent impact at Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2026 in Mumbai, where 75 Malaysian travel industry stakeholders participated under the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion. The delegation included travel agents, hoteliers, tourism product owners and state tourism boards such as Tourism Melaka, Tourism Selangor and Sabah Tourism, along with the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). Batik Air supported the initiative as the official airline partner. The delegation was led by Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia.
Alongside OTM, Tourism Malaysia hosted targeted promotional events including a Malaysia Food and Culture showcase at Fairmont Mumbai, a Malaysia Wedding Seminar in collaboration with Wedding Sutra, and a Malaysia MICE Seminar. These initiatives positioned Malaysia strongly in high-growth segments such as gastronomy tourism, destination weddings and the MICE industry.
The engagement continued with a post-OTM sales mission and roadshow across Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Bangalore from 8–14 February 2026. Tourism Malaysia is also set to participate in SATTE in New Delhi, reinforcing its sustained commitment to the Indian market.
Connectivity remains a key driver of growth, with 242 weekly direct flights from 14 Indian cities to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi. Since the introduction of visa-free entry for Indian nationals in December 2023, arrivals have grown by 14.6%, reaching over 1.6 million in 2025.
With India contributing significantly to Malaysia’s 42.2 million international arrivals in 2025, the country is positioning itself as a preferred destination for Indian travellers ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
