Tourism Malaysia (Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board – MTPB), in partnership with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), organised its Sales Mission 2026 in Coimbatore on Wednesday at Le Méridien Coimbatore.
The programme brought together 49 sellers from Malaysia along with key travel trade partners from Coimbatore and the wider Kongu region, reinforcing Malaysia’s engagement with one of South India’s strongest outbound leisure and business travel markets.
The Sales Mission was led by Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, along with Nuwal Fadhilah binti Ku Azmi, Senior Director of the International Promotions (Asia/Africa) Division, Tourism Malaysia. Their presence reflected Tourism Malaysia’s continued commitment to expanding its footprint in India, particularly in the southern region.
India remains one of Malaysia’s key source markets, recording 1,565,194 tourist arrivals in 2025, compared to 1,365,387 in 2024 — representing a strong growth of 14.6 per cent. In line with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), Malaysia is targeting 2.1 million arrivals from India.
The strong travel demand is supported by robust air connectivity between the two countries, with 238 weekly direct flights offering 47,399 seats from 14 Indian cities. South India continues to play a vital role, contributing 151 weekly direct flights and 29,541 seats, making travel to Malaysia more convenient for Indian travellers.
Speaking at the programme, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy highlighted Malaysia’s focus on strengthening trade partnerships and promoting diverse tourism segments. The Sales Mission showcased Malaysia’s wide-ranging offerings, including leisure travel, family holidays, island getaways, shopping, cultural experiences, and nature-based tourism. It also spotlighted the growing demand for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and wedding tourism among Indian travellers.
Nuwal Fadhilah binti Ku Azmi emphasised the importance of bringing together Malaysian sellers and Indian trade partners through MTEX to foster long-term business collaboration. She noted that Tourism Malaysia remains committed to expanding trade engagement across South India by connecting the industry with updated products, new destinations, and refreshed offerings as the country builds momentum towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Hishamuddin Mustafa, Director of Tourism Malaysia, Chennai, said Coimbatore is a key outbound market with strong travel potential and plays a crucial role in Tourism Malaysia’s South India strategy. He added that the Sales Mission serves as
an effective platform to support trade partners with updated destination knowledge, product offerings, and new opportunities ahead of VMY2026.
Tourism Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Indian travel trade, airlines, and industry stakeholders to further strengthen bilateral tourism growth and position Malaysia as a preferred destination for Indian travellers.
