THE Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) is looking to draw 3.65 million tourists with tourism receipts of RM8.38 billion this year despite concerns over the Middle East conflict.
Its chief executive officer (CEO), Datuk Seri Iskandar Mohd Kaus, said that though the conflict is seen as a temporary situation, the authority is taking a proactive stance by reviewing the situation.
The war comes as the nation marks its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, a common feature in the country's efforts to position itself as a premier inbound destination.
"We have no plans to revise our arrivals and tourism expenditure figures for now. The situation in the Middle East seems to be temporary."
Iskandar said this after attending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement signing for a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) exclusive qualification under the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)'s Arshad Ayub Graduate Business School.
Iskandar said that as LADA's main focus is on tourism, the statutory body will always focus on galvanising the sector.
He said that LADA is also stepping up efforts to lure tourists from East Asia, namely China, Japan and South Korea.
LADA will also strengthen its domestic tourism base with attention devoted towards reducing the costs of travelling to the island resort, he said.
On the MoU, Iskandar said that the graduate programme is specifically for the residents of Langkawi, so the spirit of entrepreneurship can be realised here.
Twenty students are the pioneering batch of the two-year graduate programme. - March 31, 2026.
