This post was written in part by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board.

Malaysia continues its efforts to attract Spanish tourists and improve dividend for leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) travellers to Malaysia with Tourism Malaysia’s 17th year of participation in Madrid’s FITUR International Tourism Fair.

A Malaysian delegation led by YB Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture was joined by three main Spanish partners to sell packages featuring Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak, and the Highlands. Two Malaysian agents selling tours of Malaysia’s East Coast also participated. Packages promoted will involve an average of eight nights’ tour.

From January to September in 2018, Spanish arrivals to Malaysia had shown an increase of 23.7%, with 33,915 tourists entering Malaysia.

Contributing to this significant increase were efforts by travel agents, distributors and airlines offering travel packages and competitive airfares with tactical promotions to travellers. Digital and social media also played an important role in influencing travellers to visit Malaysia, as well as quality media coverage by travel and lifestyle media on Malaysia’s various attractions for visitors. A series of joint travel workshops and seminars by travel retailers and airline also contributed to the positive growth.

Malaysia’s lush tropical forest remains a high attraction to Spanish travellers, who seek out adventure and culture, alongside eco-tourism travel and gastronomy. Popular locations for Spanish tourists are Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Penang, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak, Langkawi, and Pahang.

Malaysia’s presence at FITUR indicates a determined interest in increasing the number of Spanish tourists to Malaysia significantly, by promoting a greater awareness of Malaysia as a holiday destination, as well as encouraging greater relations between tour operators and members of the tourism fraternity.