Call to develop sustained growth in tourism industry

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Kritik
09 Oct 2026
47
SubCategory | National Identity

Call to develop sustained growth in tourism industry

By Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi

PETALING JAYA: Tourism players are hoping for Budget 2027 to convert the buzz around the Visit Malaysia campaign into steady, lasting growth, with better connectivity, stronger tourism products and wider digital adoption high on their wish list.

Trip.com Malaysia general manager Stephane Thong said tourism should be treated as a long-term economic sector rather than being driven by one-off promotional campaigns.

“Visit Malaysia has generated real momentum and visibility. The most valuable thing Budget 2027 could do is help convert that into sustained growth, by treating tourism as an economic sector to be built over the long term and not as a one-off campaign,” she told theSun.

Thong added that tourism supported businesses of all sizes across the country, from airlines and hotels to guides, drivers and food operators.

She identified five areas that should receive attention in Budget 2027, namely connectivity and dispersal, tourism products, digital participation, domestic tourism and how tourism performance is measured.

“On connectivity, stronger international air links, coupled with better domestic and last-mile connections, would help spread visitor growth beyond major gateways such as Kuala Lumpur to secondary cities and emerging destinations.”

She also said growing interest was already being seen in destinations such as Johor Bahru, Miri and Sibu.

“Continued investment in attractions, infrastructure, events and new experiences gives visitors reasons to stay longer, spend more and return,” she said, adding that measures to make domestic travel more accessible and affordable would also help sustain demand and support local tourism businesses nationwide.

Thong also called for greater support for smaller tourism businesses, independent hotels and local operators to strengthen their digital capabilities as travellers increasingly discover, plan and book trips online.

“If I had to choose one key area the government should prioritise in Budget 2027 to ensure Malaysia’s tourism sector remains resilient, it would be building a more digitally competitive ecosystem.”

She added that travellers were increasingly discovering, planning and booking their trips online, making digital readiness crucial to the long-term competitiveness of the tourism sector.

She also said tourism small and medium enterprises (SME), independent hotels and local operators should be supported in going digital so they could reach international travellers and participate more fully in the online travel economy.

However, Thong said digitalisation should go beyond basic adoption, with businesses encouraged to use data and market insights to better understand traveller preferences, improve their offerings and reach the right customers.

“This matters most for businesses and destinations outside the traditional tourism hubs.

“When a family-run hotel in Sibu or a small tour operator in Sabah could be found and booked as easily as a large resort in Kuala Lumpur, tourism growth becomes more widely shared.”

She added that a stronger digital ecosystem would help the tourism sector respond quicker to changing traveller behaviour and market demand.

She also said Trip.com was working with tourism industry stakeholders to strengthen digital participation, including through campaigns with Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysian Association of Hotels and the Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association.

“We help hotels of every size reach travellers in Malaysia and abroad, and we share what our data shows about demand. We look forward to building on that.”

Thong said the outlook for Malaysia’s tourism sector in 2027 remains positive, particularly as travel planning become increasingly digital and AI-assisted.

Source: call-to-develop-sustained-growth-in-tourism-industry

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