Visa has entered into a long-term partnership with Tourism Malaysia to support the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in promoting Malaysia as a preferred travel destination. This involves the provision of travel discounts and campaigns, among other incentives.

Under the partnership, Visa will be rolling out the Visa Preferred Merchant (VPM) Programme, offering Visa cardholders exclusive deals for air tickets, accommodation, dining, shopping and medical wellness. According to Visa, the VPM programme will be made available to domestic as well as international travellers via Tourism Malaysia and Visa Malaysia websites during selected tourist travel seasons. 

In line with Tourism Malaysia’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026, Tourism Malaysia and Visa will also promote tourism within the country by launching a domestic travel campaign. On top of that, the two parties will join hands to encourage international tourists to travel to the country and enjoy a diverse shopping experience as well. 

“Visa is excited to extend our partnership with Tourism Malaysia and launch a specially curated ‘Home Away from Home’ campaign. With the reopening of borders, we are looking forward to being a driving force in boosting tourism growth and promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination post-pandemic,” said Visa Malaysia Country Manager Ng Kong Boon. 

Aside from that, Visa will also share its data analytics and insights with Tourism Malaysia to help the agency better understand tourists’ preferences. For instance, key data from Visa’s latest Consumer Payment Attitudes Study that may be shared include statistics such as:

• Almost six in ten Malaysians believe that they will likely travel within the country
• 20% of Southeast Asian consumers – especially Singaporeans (40%) – are eager to spend on international travel to Covid-19-safe countries

Meanwhile, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri said that the tourism industry is excited with the reopening of Malaysia’s borders as it is a sign of opportunities for economic recovery. She further noted that the collaboration with Visa is “the perfect opportunity to provide consumers and merchants with the best offers available to truly experience Malaysia while adhering to SOPs and public health and safety”. 

Malaysia finally reopened its borders on 1 April after more than two years of closure in its fight against Covid-19. The government initially planned to transition to the endemic stage last year but decided to postpone it due to another surge in Covid-19 cases brought on by the spread of the Omicron variant.

(Source: Tourism Malaysia)

• TAGS:
• Dato' Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri
• Domestic Tourism
• International Tourism
• MOTAC
• Ng Kong Boon
• Tourism Malaysia
• Travel Deals
• Visa
• Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study