KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism Ministry is expecting RM147.1bil in income from 35.6 million tourists during Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), says deputy minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.

“To achieve these targets, the Tourism Ministry through its agencies is proactively holding promotion and marketing activities by empowering the ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ and ‘Cuti-cuti Malaysia’ brands.

"This is in line with the objectives and strategies of the National Tourism Policy 2020-2030, and the Tourism Malaysia Marketing Plan 2022-2026,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (March 14).

Khairul Firdaus said the ministry is making full use of the free visa provided by Malaysia for certain countries in order to attract more tourists, especially those from China and India.

The Batu Sapi MP then added that the Tourism Ministry is also using international markets to woo foreign tourists through various activities.

“We will also focus on the main target markets that contribute to the number of foreign tourist arrivals such as Asean countries, West Asia, South Asia and East Asia for a quick return on investments," he said.

Khairul Firdaus added that his ministry is also promoting cultural, artistic and heritage products through Tourism Malaysia collaborations with different government departments.

These departments are the National Department of Culture and Arts, the National Heritage Department, the Malaysian Crafts Development Corporation and Istana Budaya.

“I call for the cooperation of state governments and Local Authorities to upgrade and maintain facilities in tourist areas to ensure the comfort and safety of tourists.

“This includes further improving aspects of cleanliness and cheerfulness in the main cities that are the focus of tourists across the country,” he added.