Malaysia aims for 600,000 South Korean arrivals in new travel drive

As Malaysia pushes to welcome 47 million international visitors under this year’s travel campaign, the country is setting its sights on bringing South Korean arrivals back above pre-pandemic levels by promoting authentic local experiences beyond its well-known beach resorts and city attractions. “South Korea is one of our priority markets,” Kamilia Hani Abdul Halim, director of Tourism Malaysia Seoul, said in an interview. Last year, about 558,000 South Koreans visited Malaysia, making it the country’s eighth-largest source market for international visitors. This year, Malaysia hopes to increase that figure to 600,000. “Our arrivals from South Korea have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels,” Kamilia said. “Before Covid-19, we welcomed more than 600,000 South Korean visitors, so this is an important milestone for us.” The tourism drive forms part of the government’s global Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which aims to attract 47 million international visitors despite growing uncertainties affecting the global travel industry. At the heart of the campaign is the theme “Surreal Experiences” – reflecting a shift in travellers’ expectations following the pandemic. “Nowadays, travellers are looking for authentic experiences,” the Malaysian tourism chief in South Korea said. “They don’t want crowded places any more. They want something new.” To meet that demand, Malaysia has broadened its tourism offerings beyond traditional leisure travel, promoting nature, wellness, rural tourism, culture and heritage, gastronomy, sports and educational tourism. The campaign also reflects changing travel patterns among South Koreans. Kamilia said the way South Koreans travel had altered dramatically since the pandemic. South Korean tourists are becoming increasingly interested in exploring destinations at their own pace rather than following conventional itineraries like packaged tour programmes. “In the past, many South Koreans came on package tours,” she said. “Now they prefer to explore on their own.” Instead of relying on organised itineraries, travellers in the postpandemic era tend to book flights independently, navigate Malaysian cities using public transport and ride-hailing services and search online for unique local experiences. “People who can speak English, or simply find information online, now arrange their own trips,” she said. “That’s why we are creating more themed packages and promoting activities that travellers may not have known about before.” To reach these increasingly independent travellers, Tourism Malaysia has expanded its digital outreach through social media, South Korean influencers, bloggers and online platforms, while also partnering airlines including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air and Jeju Air to promote direct routes to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. New experiences While golf holidays and resort holidays still remain popular among South Koreans, Tourism Malaysia is increasingly encouraging visitors to discover different sides of the country. “Now we’re promoting other experiences as well, such as educational tourism. Many South Korean families are sending their children to Malaysia to learn English.” Besides widely known destinations among South Koreans such as Kuala Lumpur and the resort island of Langkawi, Tourism Malaysia is also highlighting lesser-known destinations – including Sarawak on the island of Borneo and the northern state of Perak. Sarawak, famed for its ancient rainforests and diverse Indigenous communities, recently earned Unesco Global Geopark recognition for the Sarawak Delta Geopark. The destination could also become more accessible to Korean travellers should direct air links be established in the future. “If you like nature, Sarawak is an ideal destination,” Kamilia said. “It is famous for its food as well, and we’re hoping to have direct flights from South Korea someday.” Perak, meanwhile, offers a different appeal. “It is reachable by land from Kuala Lumpur, making it perfect for a day trip,” she said. “It’s a quieter destination, but it’s well known for its gastronomy and gives visitors a chance to experience another side of Malaysia.” One area where Tourism Malaysia has also seen particularly strong momentum is gastronomy. South Korean interest in Malaysian cuisine has grown rapidly in recent years, helped by the opening of more Malaysian restaurants in Seoul and the increasing exposure of Malaysian dishes through Korean television travel programmes, according to Kamilia. “We’ve noticed that many Koreans are becoming interested in Malaysian food,” she said. “When you watch South Korean TV programmes these days, many of them travel to Malaysia and introduce local dishes like roti canai and teh tarik.” Food has therefore become one of Tourism Malaysia’s key promotional pillars at travel fairs and cultural festivals in Korea. Durian diplomacy One product receiving an especially warm response is Malaysia’s premium Musang King durian. “Many people think South Koreans don’t like durians because of the smell,” Kamilia said with a laugh. “But when we introduced Musang King here, we received a very good response.” The agency has even begun promoting seasonal “durian tourism” packages that allow visitors to tour orchards during harvest season and sample freshly picked fruit. “You can find durian in chocolates, cakes, cookies and even McDonald’s serves a durian sundae during the season in Malaysia.” Kamilia’s own connection to South Korea stretches back more than 15 years. Before joining Tourism Malaysia’s overseas network, she studied Korean language for a year at Seoul National University’s language institute. Returning to Seoul as the head of Tourism Malaysia has allowed her to witness how much both countries’ understanding of one another has evolved. “When I first studied here in 2010, many South Koreans didn’t really know Malaysia. People often asked whether I was from Indonesia,” she recalled. “Now it’s completely different. Many Koreans tell me they’ve visited Malaysia. They know nasi lemak, roti canai and our multicultural society. That has been a very pleasant surprise.” She believes that background has also helped her better understand South Korean travellers and tailor Malaysia’s marketing strategy accordingly. “It helps because I understand Korean culture and what Korean travellers are looking for,” she said. “If they have feedback or complaints, I can understand where they’re coming from and relay that to our headquarters.” Tourism Malaysia plans to hold a Malaysia Fair at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul this November, featuring cultural performances and promotional events showcasing the country’s diverse heritage. “We hope more South Koreans will come and discover that Malaysia offers much more than they may already know,” she said. “There are always new experiences waiting for them.” This article was first published by The Korea Times

Malaysia aims for 600,000 South Korean arrivals in new travel drive

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Last year, about 558,000 South Koreans visited Malaysia, making it the country’s eighth-largest source market for international visitors

Last year, about 558,000 South Koreans visited Malaysia, making it the country’s eighth-largest source market for international visitors