Malaysia shifts focus to luxury, youth and education travel segments to attract changing Chinese consumer preferences, says minister.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is intensifying its tourism promotion efforts in China by targeting high-end, youth and education-based travel segments to capture the changing preferences of Chinese consumers, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said.
In his Facebook posting today, Tiong said Tourism Malaysia has been actively engaging with key players in China’s travel industry, particularly in Shanghai, as part of efforts to tap deeper into the growing demand for luxury, youth-oriented and education-focused travel experiences.
During a recent outreach mission to Shanghai, Tiong said a Tourism Malaysia delegation led by Tourism Malaysia Director-General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim met with major Chinese tourism industry players, including LeYou Group, luxury travel specialist 8 Continents Travel and Cuttlefish Travel, to explore emerging market trends and potential areas of collaboration.
Mohd Amirul, in the same post, said the engagements highlighted the rapidly changing dynamics of the Chinese travel market.
“Different age groups and segments in China are looking for very different things now. We can’t just keep selling the same old sightseeing packages.
“For Malaysia, the direction has to be ‘tourism plus X’, combining travel with specific interests, whether food, education, wellness, adventure or culture, depending on the market we are targeting,” Amirul said.
He noted that Malaysia sees strong potential across several segments, ranging from senior travellers and bespoke luxury holidays to younger independent travellers, as well as family and education-focused travel groups.
Tourism Malaysia is open to joint promotional campaigns with Chinese partners, including digital promotions, key opinion leader (KOL) tie-ups, short-video content and themed promotions.
“Each of these platforms has its own edge. Some are very strong at the high end, some have a massive physical network, and others speak directly to young, independent travellers.
“Our goal is to work with them in ways that make sense for their audiences, so that Malaysia shows up more often and more meaningfully in front of different groups of Chinese consumers,” Amirul said.
