HO CHI MINH CITY, 14 October 2026: Tourism Malaysia deepens ties with the Vietnamese travel trade and Malaysian business community through a series of travel industry activities in Ho Chi Minh City, led by Tourism Malaysia Director General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim.
The engagements provided an opportunity to expand business cooperation, raise awareness of Malaysia as a tourism destination, and explore new business opportunities in the Vietnamese market, supporting the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 (VM2026–2027) promotional efforts, which have been extended through 2027.
During the visit, the Tourism Malaysia team met with travel agents and tourism industry stakeholders through networking sessions, including a luncheon and dinner. The discussions provide opportunities to exchange views on market trends, changing consumer preferences and potential areas for collaboration to grow tourist arrivals from Vietnam to Malaysia.
The programme also includes a session with the Malaysia Business Chamber Vietnam (MBC), involving Malaysian companies and private sector representatives based in Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting will strengthen ties between the tourism industry and Malaysian businesses in Vietnam, particularly by promoting Malaysia’s diverse tourism products and experiences.
Beyond leisure travel, Tourism Malaysia is highlighting selected tourism segments with potential in the Vietnamese market, including Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), medical and wellness tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), and educational tourism. These segments complement Malaysia’s broader tourism offerings and support longer stays, repeat visits, and more diverse travel purposes.
Tourism Malaysia Director General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim commented on the mission: “Vietnam remains an important market for Malaysia, supported by strong air connectivity and close people-to-people ties between our two countries. Direct engagement with the Vietnamese travel trade enables us to understand market needs better, strengthen industry relationships and identify new opportunities to grow tourism flows to Malaysia.”
He added that closer collaboration with Vietnamese travel agents and Malaysian private sector partners is important in broadening the range of Malaysian tourism products and experiences available to the Vietnamese market.
The visit formed part of Tourism Malaysia’s efforts to expand its presence in Vietnam through joint promotional activities, familiarisation programmes, product development and business-to-business initiatives with local industry partners.
Malaysia welcomed 217,121 visitors from Vietnam between January and August 2026. During the same period, air connectivity between the two countries recorded 167 weekly flight frequencies, with a total seat capacity of 31,037 seats. Tourism Malaysia continues to work closely with airlines, travel agents, tourism associations, and industry partners to leverage existing air connectivity, boost destination awareness, and facilitate travel to Malaysia.
(Source: Tourism Malaysia)
