Kuala Lumpur, 7 June 2024 – Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with Tourism Malaysia – also known as the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board – on 29 May 2024 during the ITB China trade show.
The collaboration was signed by Mr Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Trip.com Group, and Mr Eric Choy, CEO of Harley Travel Sdn Bhd (“Harley Travel”) on behalf of Tourism Malaysia, and witnessed by Mr Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, and Ms Stephane Thong, General Manager, Trip.com Malaysia.
Under this three-year Memorandum of Collaboration, both parties will expand their existing collaboration beyond China, and into the wider Asia Pacific region. Leveraging Trip.com Group’s global resources, the focus will be on attracting more Chinese and international visitors to Malaysia. This entails cooperation on the marketing front, including key product promotions, especially for hotels and attractions. More areas within Malaysia, such as Johor and Sarawak, will also be promoted to travellers.
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, Harley Travel will work with Trip.com and the Ministry of Tourism to promote tourism between Malaysia and China on the back of the visa-free travel arrangement between both countries.
Mr Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Trip.com Group, said: “Based on our data, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Langkawi and Semporna are among the most popular Malaysian cities for travellers globally, exemplifying Malaysia as a destination offering diverse tourism options. Tourism to Malaysia has picked up since the start of visa-free travel arrangements with China, but we believe there is still more we can do to enhance Malaysia’s profile as a key tourist destination. Trip.com Group is committed to helping Malaysia’s tourism industry grow not just in absolute numbers, but also in attracting quality tourists.”
Mr Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, said: “The signing of this partnership signifies another milestone in our close partnership with Trip.com Group over the years. This expansion of our agreement to cover the whole of Asia Pacific shows how successful it has been, and we are excited to work together to enhance our tourism promotion efforts to other regional markets and show travellers what Malaysia has to offer.”
Tourism Malaysia recently unveiled its strategic roadmap for “Visit Malaysia 2026”, which aims to attract 35.6 million international tourist arrivals and MYR147.1 billion in tourist expenditure. Key initiatives detailed include branding and marketing, strategic partnerships for joint promotions or tactical campaigns and market segmentation.
According to Trip.com Group’s data, Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. During the Labour Day holiday, Tawau – which is home to the world’s third largest cocoa producing area and offers both land and sea experiences – was among the top five most popular Malaysian cities for Chinese travellers.
