PETALING JAYA: Tourism industry players must upgrade their services to prepare for an anticipated surge in tourist arrivals, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing today.
He said these upgrades should include accurate hotel ratings.
"When promoting hotels, use actual photos. Do not advertise them as five-star hotels if they resemble three-star facilities.
"We do not want tourists to feel deceived. This is crucial to maintain Malaysia's image abroad."
He said this at an engagement session with tourism industry players (central region) in Bandar Utama.
Present were Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, ministry secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman and Tourism Malaysia director general Datuk P. Manoharan.
The session aimed to provide an overview of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
It also included updates on incentives and matching grants offered by the ministry, such as the Tourism Promotion Fund, Tourism Sector Support Grant and International & Charter Flights Matching Grant.
Tiong said the collaboration between the ministry and 39 partners, including tourism associations, transport services, and domestic media, showcased a strong synergy between the public and private sectors.
"Through joint initiatives and activities, we aim to promote the diversity of Malaysia's tourism products and position the country as a premier travel destination.
"With this non-exclusive collaboration, we hope to leverage their expertise to support Visit Malaysia 2026."
Malaysia recorded 22.5 million tourist arrivals from January to November 2024, a 26 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2023.
The top 10 markets were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, India, Brunei, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and Taiwan.