HCM CITY — Tourism Malaysia in Việt Nam on February 25 held a cozy high-tea session with media representatives and travel content creators (travel bloggers).

The gathering provided an opportunity to introduce the new director of the HCM City office and share exciting plans for promoting Malaysian tourism in 2025.

In January, Amirah Nadiah Mazlan officially took on the role of director of Tourism Malaysia in Việt Nam.

With over 18 years of experience in tourism management in Malaysia, she hopes to enhance promotion and strengthen collaboration with partners in Việt Nam to make Malaysia a top tourist destination for Vietnamese travelers.

Last year, Malaysia welcomed 330,189 Vietnamese tourist arrivals.

Tourism Malaysia continues to expand diverse promotional activities in the Vietnamese market, including participation in international tourism fairs and exhibitions in Hà Nội and HCM City; organising promotional campaigns with leading airlines, travel agencies, and online travel agents; conducting seminars and business networking events in Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng; and collaborating with online news agencies to implement communication campaigns to introduce Malaysian culture and tourism to a wide audience.

In collaboration with the Embassy of Malaysia in Hà Nội and the Consulate General of Malaysia in HCM City, Tourism Malaysia has organised Malaysian food and cultural weeks to provide a direct and in-depth experience of Malaysia's unique cuisine and diverse culture.

With the goal of attracting 489,000 Vietnamese tourists this year, Tourism Malaysia in HCM City will strengthen its marketing efforts by collaborating with strategic partners, including airlines, travel agencies, online travel platforms, media outlets, and influencers.

These initiatives will create more opportunities for Vietnamese travelers to explore new destinations, experience Malaysia’s diverse and unique cuisine, and immerse themselves in its vibrant culture.

As the ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia will further promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, strengthening ASEAN's global presence while elevating Malaysia’s position on the world tourism map.

On January 6, the national campaign Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) was officially launched by Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. VM2026 aims to attract 35.6 million international tourists and generate tourism revenue of up to 147.1 billion ringgits (US$32.5 billion).

Amirah Nadiah Mazlan said the seamless integration of tourism promotion, destination marketing, and expanded connectivity through direct flights between Malaysia and Việt Nam will strengthen Malaysia’s position as a top regional destination.

“These efforts are especially significant in Việt Nam, one of Malaysia’s key source markets. All these activities will be important contributions towards the success of Visit Malaysia 2026,” she said.

The networking session was also an opportunity for Tourism Malaysia to express gratitude to representatives of press agencies, media outlets, and content creators, while also listening to feedback to ensure that promotional efforts are better aligned with the tastes of Vietnamese tourists. — VNS