Malaysia's tourism industry holds Seoul seminar
Only 550,000 Korean visitors — growth potential seen as vast
Kuala Lumpur positioned as gateway to wider network
'Visit Malaysia Year' extended through 2027
"Of the nearly 30 million South Koreans who travel abroad each year, only about 560,000 visit Malaysia — which means the growth potential and opportunity are enormous."
Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Batik Air Malaysia, made the remarks Wednesday at a joint seminar hosted by Batik Air Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia at the Westin Chosun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, underscoring the importance of the South Korean market.
The event was organized to share strategies for capturing a larger share of South Korea's growing outbound travel demand. Attendees included Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing; Camelia Hani Abdul Halim, director of Tourism Malaysia's Korea office; Hong Chan-ho, president of Mibang Aviation; and representatives from both countries' tourism and aviation industries, as well as local media.
Chandran said Malaysia's market share among Korean travelers remains at an early stage relative to overall demand. About 29.6 million South Koreans traveled abroad last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, and about 7.8 million departed in the first quarter of this year, recovering to 99 percent of the same period in 2019. By contrast, roughly 558,000 South Koreans visited Malaysia last year, placing the country eighth among all inbound markets.
To expand its presence in South Korea, Batik Air is considering deploying larger aircraft on its daily Incheon–Kuala Lumpur route. The airline also plans to pursue the resumption of its Incheon–Kota Kinabalu service and the addition of new destinations.
"Korean travelers will be able to connect seamlessly to a wide range of destinations through Batik Air's domestic network after arriving in Kuala Lumpur," Chandran said. "We continue to invest in expanding wireless in-flight entertainment, customized meal options, competitive fares and a digital loyalty program to better serve the Korean market."
Lee Gyu-bin, deputy director of Batik Air Malaysia's Korea office, then presented the airline's operational strategy, highlighting its product strengths and connectivity as a hybrid carrier. Batik Air Malaysia currently operates 65 routes across 21 countries and has roughly doubled its passenger numbers between 2023 and 2025. The Incheon–Kuala Lumpur route departs Incheon at 6:50 a.m. and arrives at 12:30 p.m. local time, with the return flight departing at 10 p.m.
"The minimum connection time at Kuala Lumpur airport is just one hour, which means same-day connections are available for all departures after 1:30 p.m.," Lee said. "The late-night return departure also makes it easy for travelers to finish their itinerary in major cities before boarding." He added that all economy-class seats feature a 32-inch seat pitch — up to 4 inches wider than competing carriers — for added comfort.
The seminar also featured a presentation on Malaysia's tourism policy and response strategy. Malaysia plans to extend its "Visit Malaysia Year" campaign — originally scheduled for 2026 — by one year through 2027. The country has set a target of 47 million foreign visitors in 2026, with tourism revenue of more than 147 billion ringgit.
"Rising oil prices and higher travel costs stemming from the Middle East crisis made it difficult to attract Korean visitors," said Camelia Hani Abdul Halim. "To help the market recover, we extended the campaign period and restructured our strategy to encourage Korean tourists to stay longer and spend more while in Malaysia."
Malaysia also plans to move beyond its image as a leisure-only destination, focusing on high-value offerings such as diving, rainforest experiences, education and ecotourism. The strategy calls for introducing distinctive new products to tap the South Korean market's considerable potential.
"South Korea remains one of our most valued strategic partners," Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said. "Through close cooperation, we will develop new products and make the 2026–2027 Visit Malaysia Year a success."
terry@heraldcorp.com
