Malaysia’s Perak State Eyes Tourists From Neighbouring Countries For Visit Malaysia 2026
IPOH, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Perak is aiming to attract tourists from Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and southern China, in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
State Tourism, Industry, Investment and Corridor Development Committee chairman Loh Sze Yee said these countries have been identified as primary targets considering factors such as distance, ease of access and the ability of local industry players to adapt to the expectations of regional tourists.
He said as a state with strong domestic tourism, Perak also requires the presence of tourists from neighbouring countries.
“Thailand is a market we’ve been engaging with for several years, and we frequently receive familiarisation (fam) trips from tourism players there. Since last year, we have also been actively organising fam trips for Indonesia, so this is a natural extension for the overseas market.
“Of course, for Singapore as well, where we have our only international flight. So our main targets now are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and southern China, because tourists from the northern part are unlikely to come here,” he told reporters after attending a networking programme with Perak tourism industry players here on Tuesday.
Loh said apart from facilities such as comfortable, safe and clean accommodation, he also encouraged tourism operators to step up and expand nighttime activities.
“In fact, we already have various nighttime activities. For example, in Ipoh old town, there are now many cafés run by young entrepreneurs offering various menus, creating spaces for people to gather.
“In other places, we can introduce activities such as river excursions, as well as village and forest explorations. It is important to fill the hours from after dinner until bedtime,” he said.
He added that besides Perak’s strength in nature-based tourism, the state is also developing wellness tourism to attract more tourists.
During the networking session, Tourism Perak also outlined its new strategic direction under the new leadership, while providing a platform for two-way interaction between the management and industry players to exchange views, share input and identify collaboration opportunities for Perak tourism products.
-- BERNAMA
