KUALA LUMPUR, 11 June 2024: Trip.com Group has recently signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with Tourism Malaysia during the recent ITB China trade show to leverage Trip.com Group’s global resources to draw more Chinese and international visitors to Malaysia
The collaboration agreement was signed by Trip.com Group’s Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Edison Chen and Harley Travel CEO Eric Choy on behalf of Tourism Malaysia and witnessed by Director General Tourism Malaysia, Manoharan Periasamy and Trip.com Malaysia General Manager Stephane Thong.
Under this three-year Memorandum of Collaboration, both parties will expand their existing collaboration beyond China’s outbound travel market to the wider Asia Pacific region covered by the online travel agency.
The cooperation will focus on marketing and key product promotions, especially for hotels and attractions in Malaysia.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, Harley Travel will work with Trip.com and the Ministry of Tourism to promote tourism between Malaysia and China, taking advantage of the visa-free travel arrangement between both countries.
Trip.com Group vice president Edison Chan said: “Based on our data, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Langkawi, and Semporna are among the most popular Malaysian cities for travellers globally, exemplifying Malaysia as a destination offering diverse tourism options. Tourism to Malaysia has picked up since the start of visa-free travel arrangements with China, but we believe there is still more we can do to enhance Malaysia’s profile as a key tourist destination. Trip.com Group is committed to helping Malaysia’s tourism industry grow in absolute numbers and in attracting quality tourists.”
Tourism Malaysia Director General Manoharan Periasamy said: “The signing of this partnership signifies another milestone in our close partnership with Trip.com Group. This expansion of our agreement to cover the whole of Asia Pacific shows how successful it has been, and we are excited to work together to enhance our tourism promotion efforts to other regional markets and show travellers what Malaysia has to offer.”
Tourism Malaysia recently unveiled its strategic roadmap for ‘Visit Malaysia 2026,’ which aims to attract 35.6 million international tourist arrivals and MYR147.1 billion in tourist expenditures. Key initiatives detailed include branding and marketing, strategic partnerships for joint promotions or tactical campaigns, and market segmentation.
According to Trip.com Group’s data, Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. During the Labour Day holiday, Tawau — home to the world’s third largest cocoa-producing area and offering both land and sea experiences — was among the top five most popular Malaysian cities for Chinese travellers.
