Tourism Malaysia has expanded its Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) promotional campaign to Lombok as it steps up efforts to attract more Indonesian travellers and strengthen ties with the country’s tourism industry, Bernama reported.
Tourism Malaysia Jakarta director Hairi Mohd Yakzan said Indonesia remained one of Malaysia’s key tourism markets, with 4.3 million Indonesians visiting Malaysia in 2025, up 2.4% from the previous year.
He said the initiative aims to deepen cooperation with tourism industry players in Lombok while creating new business opportunities that would benefit both Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s tourism sectors.
Lombok marked the final stop of the Malaysia Tourism Showcase (MATAS) business-to-business (B2B) Roadshow 2026, following earlier events in Serang, Bandung, Jayapura and Malang. More than 10 Malaysian tourism industry players, including hotels, tourist attractions and tour operators, took part in the programme.
The multi-city roadshow forms part of Tourism Malaysia’s strategy to strengthen engagement with travel industry players across Indonesia and encourage more Indonesians to choose Malaysia as their preferred destination under the VM2026 campaign.
Held under the theme “Surreal Experience”, the campaign showcases Malaysia’s culture, heritage, natural attractions, gastronomy and hospitality, supporting the national target of welcoming 47 million international tourist arrivals and generating RM329 billion in tourism receipts.
Hairi said Malaysia has lined up more than 320 events and festivals this year, including the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia, Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, Malaysia Year-End Sale and Citrawarna Festival.
He added that tourism growth between Malaysia and Indonesia would continue to be supported by strong air connectivity, with more than 669 direct flights operating weekly between major Indonesian cities and destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Subang, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
