Tourism Malaysia participated in the 12th Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (JTTX) last week to bolster promotions to attract more Middle Eastern travellers to Malaysia.

The three-day event served as a crucial platform for connecting international travel businesses with the rapidly expanding Saudi travel market, recognised as one of the fastest-growing markets globally. 

JTTX brings together influential local travel leaders and international exhibitors, fostering new relationships, fortifying existing business partnerships, and exploring collaborative opportunities.

Marking its fourth consecutive presence at JTTX, the Tourism Malaysia team was led by Ahmad Faisal Mohamed, Director of Tourism Malaysia Jeddah. Seven travel agents joined the event — Al Safer Travel & Tours, Future Group Tour & Travel, GR Travel & Tours, Kurma Gateaways Travel, TH Travel & Services, Universal Holidays Travel & Tourism, and Qadasfly Travel & Tourism.

Five hotels and resorts also joined the delegation: Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah, Grand Ion Delemen Hotel, Genting Highlands, Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts, Hospitality 360, and Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia proudly maintains its position as the preferred “Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of The Year” as recognised by the MasterCard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2023. The destination has also been honoured as the “Muslim Women-Friendly Destination of The Year.” These accolades resulted from an annual online survey that considers various criteria, such as the availability of halal food, access to prayer facilities, Muslim-friendly services in hotels, and overall safety and security.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Dato Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar said: “We appreciated the opportunity to collaborate and cooperate with some of the best industry players, such as Saudia, Air Arabia and Al Mosafer (Seera). We anticipate a substantial increase in arrivals from Saudi Arabia this year, facilitated by the development of new tour packages in gearing up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”

Malaysia welcomed 38,143 tourists from Saudi Arabia from January to September 2023, surpassing 35,980 recorded in 2022. In 2024, Malaysia aims to welcome 27.3 million tourists, generating MYR102.7 billion in revenue. The forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 has set an ambitious target of 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals.