By Rafiq Vayani
DUBAI/MOSCOW: Tourism Malaysia is stepping up its promotional efforts in Russia through its Sales Mission to St. Petersburg and Moscow from 27 September to 1 October 2026, reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to growing the Russian market and increasing its tourism appeal to Russian travellers for Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 (VM2026–2027).
Led by YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, the mission brings together 15 representatives from hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product operators and state tourism boards to strengthen industry partnerships, explore new business opportunities and introduce Malaysia’s latest, immersive tourism products to the Russian market, including the Surreal Experiences travel packages.
The five-day mission features business-to-business (B2B) meetings, networking sessions, industry engagements with Russian travel trade partners, also to have the Gala Dinners to have closer engagement and extend appreciation to the industry players for their continuous support. These activities provide a stronger platform and more closely bilateral relationship especially on the tourism, arts and culture industry. Malaysia has many attractive destinations including its tropical islands and sandy beaches, lush rainforests, vibrant multicultural heritage, immersive gastronomic offerings, luxury shopping experiences, and lively entertainment.
“Russia remains an important and promising market for Malaysia, with strong potential for further growth. Through this Sales Mission, we aim to strengthen our partnerships with the Russian travel trade, increase awareness of Malaysia as a preferred travel destination among Russian travellers, and create more opportunities for our tourism industry. Our travel agents should be more aggressive in promoting Malaysia in Russia, highlighting destinations, food, culture and the wide range of experiences we have to offer,” said YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.
The Russian market continues to show positive growth, with visitor arrivals to Malaysia increasing by 4.3 per cent to 98,466 arrivals from January to August 2026, compared with 94,420 arrivals during the same period in 2025. The encouraging performance highlights the growing potential of the Russian market and strengthens Tourism Malaysia’s efforts to intensify targeted promotions and industry collaborations.
With VM2026–2027 as a key platform to advance Malaysia’s tourism agenda, Tourism Malaysia will continue to deepen partnerships with airlines, travel trade and industry players to expand Malaysia’s reach in Russia, drive greater travel demand, and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination for Russian travellers.
Furthermore, this Sales Mission held in Russia’s major cities will serve as a key catalyst for the success of VM2026–2027 by strengthening Malaysia’s presence and appeal in the Russian market. Through meaningful engagements during the Sales Mission, this will also ensure that Malaysia’s tourism industry remains sustainable and contributes to Malaysia’s long-term economic growth.