TOURISM MALAYSIA AND AIRASIA MOVE STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIP TO INSPIRE MORE TRAVEL TO MALAYSIA
Released on: Tuesday, 13 Oct 2026 10:43AM
Caption (L-R): Ravi Shankar Mallavarapu, Chief Marketing Officer, AirAsia MOVE; Lim Ben-Jie, Chief People and Partnerships Officer, AirAsia MOVE; Wizani Rosmin, Deputy Director (Planning), Tourism Malaysia; YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia (middle); Chan Kok Ding, Head of Commercial, AirAsia MOVE; Mohd Roslan Abdullah, Senior Director, Domestic & Events, Tourism Malaysia; and Yizhen Fung, Head of Strategic Partnerships, AirAsia MOVE, at the partnership announcement between Tourism Malaysia and AirAsia MOVE at Wisma Capital A.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia and AirAsia MOVE (MOVE) have launched the Oh Sem Malaysia! campaign aimed at boosting travel across the country, highlighting its secondary cities and hidden gems. The initiative expands the public-private strategic partnership, which offers curated travel experiences, destination-led promotions, and exclusive deals, in line with the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign.
The strategic partnership will focus on campaigns and travel promotions that encourage domestic travel for Malaysians, as well as inspiring travellers to explore and venture beyond the usual hotspots. This will further strengthen Malaysia’s appeal in various tourism segments, including cultural heritage, gastronomy, hospitality, eco-tourism, and more.
YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, said, “Our collaboration with AirAsia MOVE provides us with a great opportunity to reach more Malaysians and inspire them to discover the many destinations and experiences available across the country during the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign. Domestic tourism continues to play an important role in supporting local tourism businesses and communities, and through active joint campaigns and promotions, we hope to encourage more Malaysians to travel locally and experience Malaysia’s abundance of offerings, ranging from gastronomy to natural landscapes and more.”
Chan Kok Ding, Head of Commercial, AirAsia MOVE, said, “Malaysia is home to extraordinary hidden gems, and local travellers play a vital role in championing the places and cultures that make our country special. As a homegrown brand and leading Online Travel Agent (OTA) in Southeast Asia, AirAsia MOVE has the digital reach, data insights, and intuitive app features to convert travel inspiration into seamless bookings. Through our partnership with Tourism Malaysia, we are using our platform to highlight emerging destinations to Malaysians and those who call Malaysia home, while showcasing the very best of the nation. We are fully committed to playing our part in making Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 a resounding success by driving tourism growth from both domestic and regional markets.”
Through joint marketing initiatives and co-branded campaigns, the partnership aims to drive greater interest in destinations across the country, support local tourism businesses, and create more opportunities for communities to benefit from domestic tourism. In turn, the economic spillover effect can be shared with all levels of society, contributing to stronger economic growth and improving overall living standards.
This partnership will also boost the momentum of domestic visitor arrivals during VM2026–2027, complementing the existing record of 151.6 million visitors in the first half of 2026. This represents a 5.6 per cent increase compared with 143.5 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2025. In 2025 alone, tourism generated RM323.0 billion in Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries (GVATI), contributing 15.9 per cent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Together, Tourism Malaysia and MOVE aim to build greater awareness and interest in Malaysia’s destinations and local offerings. The partnership, anchored by a joint marketing campaign, provides travellers with more reasons to explore the country. AirAsia MOVE users will enjoy travel savings across flights, hotels, SNAP! flight + hotel packages, airport rides, and attractions during the campaign period.
SOURCE: AirAsia MOVE
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
TOURISM MALAYSIA
Name: Nadia Hanim Muhamad @ Mansor
Deputy Director Domestic & Events Division
Tel: +603 8891 8456
Email: nadiahanim@tourism.gov.my
Name: Norshariza Mohd Saad
Deputy Director Corporate Communications Division
Tel: +603 8891 8775
Email: norshariza@tourism.gov.my
AIRASIA MOVE
Name: Ashman Mahfudz
Senior Manager PR and Communications
Tel: +6012 667 7943
Email: movecomms@movetravel.com
--BERNAMA
The strategic partnership will focus on campaigns and travel promotions that encourage domestic travel for Malaysians, as well as inspiring travellers to explore and venture beyond the usual hotspots. This will further strengthen Malaysia’s appeal in various tourism segments, including cultural heritage, gastronomy, hospitality, eco-tourism, and more.
YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, said, “Our collaboration with AirAsia MOVE provides us with a great opportunity to reach more Malaysians and inspire them to discover the many destinations and experiences available across the country during the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign. Domestic tourism continues to play an important role in supporting local tourism businesses and communities, and through active joint campaigns and promotions, we hope to encourage more Malaysians to travel locally and experience Malaysia’s abundance of offerings, ranging from gastronomy to natural landscapes and more.”
Chan Kok Ding, Head of Commercial, AirAsia MOVE, said, “Malaysia is home to extraordinary hidden gems, and local travellers play a vital role in championing the places and cultures that make our country special. As a homegrown brand and leading Online Travel Agent (OTA) in Southeast Asia, AirAsia MOVE has the digital reach, data insights, and intuitive app features to convert travel inspiration into seamless bookings. Through our partnership with Tourism Malaysia, we are using our platform to highlight emerging destinations to Malaysians and those who call Malaysia home, while showcasing the very best of the nation. We are fully committed to playing our part in making Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 a resounding success by driving tourism growth from both domestic and regional markets.”
Through joint marketing initiatives and co-branded campaigns, the partnership aims to drive greater interest in destinations across the country, support local tourism businesses, and create more opportunities for communities to benefit from domestic tourism. In turn, the economic spillover effect can be shared with all levels of society, contributing to stronger economic growth and improving overall living standards.
This partnership will also boost the momentum of domestic visitor arrivals during VM2026–2027, complementing the existing record of 151.6 million visitors in the first half of 2026. This represents a 5.6 per cent increase compared with 143.5 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2025. In 2025 alone, tourism generated RM323.0 billion in Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries (GVATI), contributing 15.9 per cent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Together, Tourism Malaysia and MOVE aim to build greater awareness and interest in Malaysia’s destinations and local offerings. The partnership, anchored by a joint marketing campaign, provides travellers with more reasons to explore the country. AirAsia MOVE users will enjoy travel savings across flights, hotels, SNAP! flight + hotel packages, airport rides, and attractions during the campaign period.
SOURCE: AirAsia MOVE
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
TOURISM MALAYSIA
Name: Nadia Hanim Muhamad @ Mansor
Deputy Director Domestic & Events Division
Tel: +603 8891 8456
Email: nadiahanim@tourism.gov.my
Name: Norshariza Mohd Saad
Deputy Director Corporate Communications Division
Tel: +603 8891 8775
Email: norshariza@tourism.gov.my
AIRASIA MOVE
Name: Ashman Mahfudz
Senior Manager PR and Communications
Tel: +6012 667 7943
Email: movecomms@movetravel.com
--BERNAMA