Malaysia has set a target of 21 lakh tourist arrivals from India in 2026, Nuwal Fadhilahbinti Ku Azmi, Senior Director, International Promotions (Asia/Africa) Division, Tourism Malaysia, said at the Sales Mission 2026 held in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
Tourism Malaysia (Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board) organised the Sales Mission in partnership with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) as part of efforts to strengthen engagement with the Indian travel trade.
The programme brought together 49 tourism suppliers from Malaysia and travel trade partners from the Coimbatore region.
She said India remains a key source market, with tourist arrivals increasing to 15,65,194 in 2025 from 13,65,387 in 2024, registering a growth of 14.6%.
Addressing the programme, Tourism Malaysia Chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy said the organisation is strengthening trade partnerships while promoting segments such as leisure travel, family holidays, island tourism, shopping, culture, nature-based experiences, and wedding tourism. He said the Sales Mission served as a platform to connect Malaysian tourism suppliers with Indian travel trade partners and build long-term collaboration.
Hishamuddin Mustafa, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Chennai, said travel demand is supported by air connectivity between the two countries, with 238 weekly direct flights offering 47,399 seats from 14 Indian cities. He said South India contributes 151 weekly direct flights, accounting for 29,541 seats, and added that Coimbatore is an important outbound market in Tourism Malaysia’s South India strategy.
Published – February 11, 2026 08:18 pm IST
