Malaysia targets long-stay, high-value tourists from Korea

Tourism Malaysia holds networking dinner in Seoul

'Korea is a key, high-value inbound market,' official says

Visit Malaysia campaign extended through 2027

Long-stay tourism tied to education and healthcare to expand

Participants at the Visit Malaysia networking dinner [Tourism Malaysia]

"Korea is one of the most valuable and important inbound markets for Malaysia's tourism industry. Going forward, we will make Malaysia easier for Korean travel agencies to sell and a more attractive destination for Korean travelers."

Azima Aziz, deputy director for Asia and Africa at Tourism Malaysia's international promotion division, made the remarks while underscoring the importance of the Korean market. Tourism Malaysia's Seoul office held a Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 networking dinner Friday at Le Méridien Seoul Myeongdong in Jung-gu, unveiling a medium- to long-term strategy to attract Korean visitors. The event was organized to strengthen ties between the two countries' tourism industries and diversify the base for drawing Korean tourists.

A presentation on the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 strategy [Tourism Malaysia]

Malaysia's tourism sector has staged a sharp recovery, driven by the adoption of digital solutions and streamlined entry procedures. Total international arrivals reached 33.2 million through September this year. Korean visitors accounted for 366,012 of that figure over the same period, placing Korea among the markets with the highest growth potential relative to overall inbound volume.

A presentation on Malaysia tourism for 2026–2027 [Tourism Malaysia]

Tourism Malaysia has extended its Visit Malaysia campaign by one year, through 2027, from the original 2026 end date. The extension is intended to help the industry respond flexibly to rapidly shifting global travel demand — including disruptions stemming from the situation in the Middle East — and to give airlines, travel agencies and online travel platforms more time to plan products and build partnerships.

The tourism product lineup will combine targeted themes with the country's pristine natural assets. Segmented programs will be offered to drive repeat visits: shopping and lifestyle experiences aimed at women, cultural activities and theme parks for families with children, and golf for men. Development of wildlife-exploration and island-retreat products drawing on ecological assets — including rainforests more than 150 million years old and the world-renowned diving site of Sipadan — will also be promoted.

Malaysia is also moving to cultivate a high-value tourism model linking long-term stays with education and healthcare, going beyond conventional leisure travel. Ahead of the evening networking dinner, an afternoon seminar was held on the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) long-stay visa program, followed by a B2B business-matching session involving 13 local companies.

The Malaysia My Second Home B2B session [Tourism Malaysia]

On the long-stay strategy, Azima said: "Tourism today is expanding beyond simple vacations into remote work, retirement relocation and lifestyle-based travel. The MM2H program offers the travel industry a new revenue base, and Malaysia's excellent international schools, universities and high-quality medical infrastructure will complement traditional tourism to broaden the market."

Expanding air connectivity and developing secondary destinations were identified as the key challenges to sustaining growth in the Korean market. Current routes are concentrated on the Incheon–Kuala Lumpur and Incheon–Kota Kinabalu corridors. Opening new routes from regional Korean airports and increasing direct flights to secondary destinations such as Penang and Langkawi were cited as priorities.

Tourism Malaysia said strong air connectivity is an essential driver of tourism growth and pledged to work closely with airline and travel industry partners to encourage Korean travelers to explore destinations beyond established hubs, including through experience-based offerings such as golf, stargazing and wellness tourism.

terry@heraldcorp.com