The Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) National Main Committee meeting today agreed to extend the implementation of VM2026 until the end of 2027.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the decision was made to enable Malaysia to take a proactive approach in strengthening its promotional strategy, highlighting the country as a safe, stable and competitive destination and seizing opportunities from changing tourist travel patterns.
According to him, the move also takes into account current developments, including the West Asian conflict, which has had a significant impact on regional stability and affected the global tourism sector.
"Projections show that tourist arrivals to the Middle East could decline by between 11 per cent and 27 per cent, equivalent to a loss of up to 38 million visitors and losses reaching USD 56 billion.
"This has an impact on tourism-focused countries in Asia and ASEAN," he said.
He said the conflict in the region had also disrupted international flight routes, increased travel costs with rising fuel prices and transportation costs.
"This situation has also lowered tourist confidence, which is expected to have implications for global tourism flows in the near term," said Ahmad Zahid.
The Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) campaign was officially launched on January 1, targeting 43 million international visitors with the theme "Surreal Experiences" to strengthen the tourism economy.
Ahmad Zahid said that the decision of the meeting will be brought to the Cabinet for further consideration and approval. – April 6, 2026
