Trip.com Group and MOTAC forge strategic alliance

A significant milestone in the promotion of Malaysia as a favoured destination for Chinese tourists was marked as Trip.com Group hosted a delegation led by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing.

The visit culminated in the signing of a strategic partnership between Trip.com Group and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture to bolster Malaysia’s position in the Chinese outbound market.

Strengthening ties for tourism development

The strategic partnership, inked by Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Trip.com Group, and Dato’ Yeoh Soon Hin, Deputy Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, seeks to advance Malaysia’s tourism industry.

Both parties will collaborate extensively to promote Malaysia, utilising online and offline resources to craft customised outbound marketing campaigns, offer high-quality travel services, and enhance user travel experiences.

Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Trip.com Group, expressed optimism about Malaysia’s potential: “Malaysia enjoys an abundance of tourist attractions. Trip.com Group will help Malaysian tourism seize this opportunity to achieve full recovery and grow further.”

MOTAC aiming for “Visit Malaysia Year 2026”

With Malaysia’s goal of “Visit Malaysia Year 2026,” targeting 26.1 million international tourist arrivals and MYR97.6 billion in tourist expenditure, the collaboration is poised to play a pivotal role.

The partnership leverages Trip.com Group’s experience to position Malaysia as the preferred destination for Chinese travellers.

Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Malaysia, expressed confidence in the collaboration, saying, “With Trip.com Group’s strength and years of experience, I have no doubt that Malaysia will become the preferred destination for more Chinese travellers next year.”

To celebrate the strategic partnership, Tourism Malaysia will feature in a Malaysia-themed live event on Trip.com’s Ctrip app, offering exclusive discounts and travel products.

Following the recent mutual visa exemption policy between China and Malaysia, searches related to Malaysia on Trip.com Group increased by 96%, indicating a promising surge in interest.

The collaboration aims to leverage favourable policies and deepen cooperation for extensive growth in bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges

In 2022, Malaysia’s tourism industry contributed MYR251.5 billion to the GDP, constituting 14% of the total. Furthermore, it employed 23.4% of Malaysia’s workforce, with 3.61 million people benefiting from the industry in 2022.