At the event, Malaysia unveiled its campaign identity, including logo, mascot, theme song and aircraft. The VM2026 logo represents the vibrant spirit of Malaysia’s culture and nature, which is featured prominently on Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air and AirAsia aircraft. This is the first time that leading airlines have brought this image closer to the world, demonstrating strong solidarity in promoting the national tourism industry.
Malaysian Prime Minister speaks
The official theme song of the campaign, titled “Surreal Experiences”, is expected to fully express the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Malaysia’s tourism products. The melody and lyrics of the song are an integral part of the global promotional campaign to arouse curiosity and urge tourists to explore the wonderful experiences in Malaysia.
The campaign uses the Malayan sun bear, a rare animal, as a mascot to represent Malaysia’s commitment to nature conservation. With its playful and adorable cartoon design, the bear will be an emotional bridge, evoking warmth and joy, and painting a beautiful picture of Malaysia, welcoming visitors from all over the world.
As part of the national agenda, many high-level representatives from ministries attended, highlighting the importance of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign to the country’s overall development. VM2026 aims to attract 35.6 million international tourist arrivals and generate tourism revenue of up to RM147.1 billion (US$32.5 billion), enhancing the competitiveness of Malaysia’s tourism in the international market, and affirming the industry’s role as a pillar in contributing to the national GDP.
In addition, the program also included the exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoC) with key strategic partners, including Malaysia Airlines Group, AirAsia, Batik Air, Malaysia Airports Corporation, Huawei, Mastercard, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Malaysia Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (MATTA) and Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH). These partnerships aim to enhance connectivity, expand promotional campaigns and deliver exceptional experiences to travelers through cutting-edge technologies, seamless travel experiences and exclusive promotional offers.
As part of VM2026, a special event will take place on 8 February 2025 at the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur: the Malaysia Sarong Music Run (MSMR) 2025. This unique sports and cultural event is endorsed by Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim and is expected to attract over 20,000 participants. MSMR 2025 will also celebrate Malaysia's heritage while promoting an active and healthy lifestyle with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and in partnership with Locco.
In order to attract Vietnamese tourists - a key and potential market, the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Agency in Vietnam will increase promotion activities under the VM2026 campaign. These activities focus on building cooperation with Vietnamese tourism businesses and partners, including: travel companies, airlines, travel agents and media agencies, press. In addition, Tourism Malaysia will also actively participate in programs with the goal of enhancing its image such as international tourism fairs such as VITM Hanoi and ITE HCMC, building package tours with attractive incentives with airlines, travel companies and online travel agents; implementing diverse communication campaigns such as newspapers, television, social networks and online platforms.
More than just a tourism campaign, VM2026 maximizes Malaysia’s potential as a world-class destination, opening up employment opportunities and enhancing the country’s image. Furthermore, the campaign has positive impacts on many other sectors such as hospitality, transportation, retail and food and beverage, contributing to the diversity of local cultures and promoting comprehensive economic growth.
