By En. Mohd Amirizuan Bin Ahmad, Chairman, MATTA Pahang Chapter
Every year, the MATTA Fair reminds us that Malaysians have a strong appetite to explore their own country, and Pahang sees this firsthand. This year’s MATTA Fair Pahang was no exception, with strong visitor interest and encouraging demand for domestic travel packages, particularly for destinations and experiences within Pahang.
The response reinforces something I’ve believed in: interest in this state keeps growing. But the recurring question in conversations with travel agents, business operators, and visitors alike isn’t whether they’re interested, it’s whether the journey is easy enough.
More than the Usual Stops
When someone says “Pahang”, most people immediately think of Cameron Highlands or Kuantan, and rightly so — the cool hill air and tea plantations of one, the beaches and easy coastal charm of the other, have long been the state’s calling cards.
But across the state, many more hidden gems have been waiting patiently for their turn in the spotlight. Take Temerloh, a quiet riverside town along the Pahang River where homestay families still cook up ikan patin the way their grandparents did. Or Jerantut, the sleepy gateway town that opens up into the rainforest trails of Taman Negara, one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Then, there’s the beloved Tasik Chini, where the Orang Asli communities living along its shores have built their own quiet ecotourism trade around the lake’s beauty and folklore.
These are the kinds of places that stand to gain the most from Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and the state’s #PahangFirst push, which puts Pahang’s highlands, rainforest and coastline at the forefront.
Aside from tourism fairs and roadshows, MATTA Pahang also embarks on partnerships and other marketing initiatives, including collaborations on digital platforms such as MyTravelKaki, an online travel platform initiated by MATTA HQ.
With the state targeting 15 million visitors and about RM13.4 billion in tourism revenue this year, I believe connectivity will also play a role in boosting discovery.
A Convenience Problem, Not an Interest Problem
I spoke to travel agents, and a familiar pattern keeps coming up: it’s rarely that tourists aren’t curious about a destination, but once you factor in the travel time, the cost, and the uncertainty of the road, a lesser-known town in Pahang quietly slips down the list, losing out to an easier, more predictable option somewhere else. It’s a sign of how much weight accessibility carries when a destination is being considered, alongside the usual factors of safety, cost and quality of experience.
Our members feel this directly.
Long travel times, patchy transport options and inconsistent connections make it harder for agents to build these destinations into packages at all. When that happens, it isn’t just one attraction that misses out — it’s also the homestay down the road, the small restaurant that depends on passing visitors, and the local guide whose income depends on whether a tour bus happens to come through. Visitors keep concentrating in the places they already know, while smaller communities with just as much to offer get fewer opportunities to participate.
What Better Connectivity Could Unlock
When accessibility improves, the benefits will reach far beyond the traveller. I already see agencies preparing to build more diverse itineraries, tourism spending spread more evenly across the state, giving homestay operators, local restaurants and small businesses in lesser-visited communities a genuine shot at the visitor economy. It could also mean travellers staying longer and planning more freely — weekend getaways, multi-stop itineraries, even last-minute plans.
This is why we’re watching projects like the East Coast Rail Link with real interest. As the line passes through towns such as Temerloh, Bentong and Maran, it has the potential to bring destinations that have long sat outside the typical tourist trail closer to the forefront of visitors’ plans, making promotions like MATTA Fair Pahang even more effective at turning interest into actual bookings.
Equally important is reliability. Access to real-time journey information, including service updates and schedules, gives travellers greater confidence when planning their trips. Supported by a fleet of modern passenger trains, services such as the ECRL can accommodate growing travel demand while offering amenities designed for long-distance journeys, including onboard prayer facilities, washrooms and food and beverage services. Together with wheelchair accessibility, these features make rail travel more inclusive, convenient and appealing for families, senior citizens and travellers of all abilities.
As Chairman of MATTA Pahang Chapter, I believe the future of tourism isn’t just about attracting more visitors — it’s about making sure more communities get to share in that growth, so people discover not only the places Pahang is known for, but the many undiscovered wonders still waiting to be found. MATTA Pahang is ready to work closely with the Government, Tourism Pahang, and all stakeholders to build a sustainable future for the entire state.
