Tourism Malaysia lays out plan to entice Chinese travellers

Malaysia’s push to attract Chinese tourists is increasingly being shaped by the same forces influencing their itineraries: short-form videos, lifestyle apps, online personalities and newly opened routes from cities beyond China’s largest travel hubs.

Tourism Malaysia confirmed the focus in a statement, saying its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign in China encompassed “digital marketing, key opinion leader (KOL) collaborations, short-video content and themed initiatives”.

The agency’s response followed a This Week in Asia report on how mainland platforms such as RedNote, Douyin and Weibo are turning Malaysian mosques, food stalls and photogenic landmarks into ready-made itinerary stops for Chinese visitors.

Tourism Malaysia did not disclose how much it was spending on China-facing promotions or influencer-led campaigns, however, saying only that the “implementation and scale” of activities were “subject to the annual budget allocation approved for the respective year”.

The platforms were being used to “optimise market reach”, target high-end luxury travellers and directly engage “young, independent travellers”, it said, adding “promotional efforts are primarily focused on engaging both the travel trade and consumers”.

It said its outreach efforts also included “collaborations with industry stakeholders such as airlines, travel agents, hotels and other tourism-related partners”, alongside “direct consumer outreach through online platforms and offline promotional activities”.