KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is strengthening its educational tourism and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector as part of a broader strategy to attract more high-value visitors from Indonesia.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said the Indonesian market holds strong growth potential and will be crucial to the success of the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign.

He said stronger two-way promotional efforts are needed to respond to changing travel preferences among Indonesian tourists.

“Demand among Indonesian travellers for multi-destination itineraries and experiential tourism continues to grow.

“Beyond popular destinations such as Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, states like Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Sarawak are also being promoted to diversify tourism offerings,” he said in a Facebook post on Monday, as cited from Bernama.

The remarks followed a meeting with Travel4All, which operates the “Mampir Malaysia” online portal.

Tiong also highlighted the rising importance of educational tourism.

He said there is growing interest among Indonesian students in pursuing higher education and joining short-term academic programmes in Malaysia.

He said student exchange programmes, university visits and educational expeditions could help strengthen Malaysia’s appeal among young travellers.

To support the MICE segment, Tiong said incentives and assistance would be provided through relevant agencies.

The aim is to encourage international organisations to choose Malaysia as a preferred destination for major conferences and events.

He also stressed the importance of close cooperation with local tourism operators through Tourism Malaysia.

He said seamless travel experiences and strong service standards are essential, particularly for group tours, to meet visitor expectations.

The government views both educational tourism and MICE as strategic areas for attracting higher-spending visitors while supporting long-term tourism growth.