KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — Malaysia is intensifying its tourism promotion efforts in China by targeting the high-end, youth and education travel segments to capture Chinese consumers’ changing preferences, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Tiong said the agency has been engaging with key players in China’s travel industry, especially in Shanghai, as part of efforts to tap deeper into the growing demand for luxury, youth-oriented and education-focused travel experiences.
During a recent outreach mission to Shanghai, Tiong said a Tourism Malaysia delegation led by director-general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim met with major Chinese tourism industry players, including LeYou Group, 8 Continents Travel, and Cuttlefish Travel, to explore emerging market trends and potential areas of collaboration.
Amirul, in the same post, said the engagements highlighted the rapidly changing dynamics of the Chinese travel market.
“Different age groups and segments in China are looking for very different things now. We can’t just keep selling the same old sightseeing packages.
“For Malaysia, the direction has to be ‘tourism plus X’, combining travel with specific interests, whether food, education, wellness, adventure or culture, depending on the market we are targeting,” Amirul said.
He noted that Malaysia sees strong potential across several segments, ranging from senior travellers and bespoke luxury holidays to younger independent travellers, as well as family and education-focused travel groups.
Tourism Malaysia is open to joint promotional campaigns with Chinese partners, including digital promotions, key opinion leader (KOL) tie-ups, short-video content and themed promotions.
“Each of these platforms has its own edge. Some are very strong (in) the high end, some have a massive physical network, and others speak directly to young, independent travellers.
“Our goal is to work with them in ways that make sense for their audiences, so that Malaysia shows up more often and more meaningfully in front of different groups of Chinese consumers,” Amirul said.
