BENGALURU, INDIA – Tourism Malaysia successfully concluded its Sales Mission 2026 in Bengaluru on 13 February 2026 at Shangri-La Bengaluru, in partnership with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA). The programme brought together 49 sellers from Malaysia and key travel trade partners from Bengaluru and the wider Karnataka market, reinforcing Malaysia’s strong engagement with one of South India’s largest and most influential outbound travel hubs.
The Sales Mission was led by Tourism Malaysia Chairman, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, together with Mdm Nuwal Fadhilah binti Ku Azmi, Senior Director, International Promotions (Asia/Africa) Division, Tourism Malaysia, reflecting Tourism Malaysia’s continued commitment to strengthening its presence 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 14.6% growth. 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.
The Consul General of Malaysia in Chennai, Mr. K. Saravana Kumar, stated Tourism continues to serve as a strategic pillar in Malaysia–India relations, with the Consulate General of Malaysia in Chennai reaffirming its strong and ongoing support for Tourism Malaysia’s programmes and outreach efforts across South India.
The Consulate General is actively facilitating industry partnerships, promotional initiatives, and stakeholder engagement to further boost outbound travel from India to Malaysia. These coordinated efforts aim to enhance destination awareness, strengthen tourism trade linkages, and expand bilateral cooperation.
Programmes such as tourism sales missions and industry networking platforms play an important role in reinforcing people-to-people connections, encouraging tourism business collaboration, and deepening cultural and travel exchanges between Malaysia and India.
These initiatives form part of the broader push towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which seeks to further position Malaysia as a preferred and accessible destination for Indian travellers.
Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, 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 escapes, shopping, culture, and nature-based experiences, while also spotlighting the growing demand for MICE and wedding tourism among Indian travellers.
Mdm Nuwal Fadhilah binti Ku Azmi, Senior Director, International Promotions (Asia/Africa) Division, emphasised the importance of strengthening business engagement through MTEX by bringing Malaysian sellers and Indian trade partners together under one platform. She noted that Bengaluru continues to be a strategic market for Malaysia, and Tourism Malaysia remains committed to expanding trade collaboration by introducing updated tourism products, new destinations, and refreshed experiences ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Mr. Hishamuddin Mustafa, Director of Tourism Malaysia Chennai, noted that Bengaluru remains one of Tourism Malaysia’s strongest markets in South India, with high outbound travel potential across leisure, luxury, MICE, weddings, and corporate segments. He added that the Sales Mission serves as an important platform to support trade partners with updated destination knowledge, product offerings, and new opportunities ahead of VMY2026.
The Sales Mission 2026 is supported by Batik Air as the Official Airline Partner, and the Bengaluru programme was supported by Batik Air as the Partner Airline, further strengthening connectivity and travel opportunities to Malaysia through its network.
Tourism Malaysia remains committed to working closely with the Indian travel trade, airlines, and industry stakeholders to further strengthen bilateral tourism growth and promote Malaysia as a preferred destination for Indian travellers.
