AirAsia MOVE and Tourism Malaysia strengthen partnership to inspire more travel to Malaysia
Caption (L-R): Ravi Shankar Mallavarapu, Chief Marketing Officer, AirAsia MOVE; Lim Ben-Jie, Chief People and Partnerships Officer, AirAsia MOVE; Wizani Rosmin, Deputy Director (Planning), Tourism Malaysia; YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia (middle); Chan Kok Ding, Head of Commercial, AirAsia MOVE; Mohd Roslan Abdullah, Senior Director, Domestic & Events, Tourism Malaysia; and Yizhen Fung, Head of Strategic Partnerships, AirAsia MOVE, at the partnership announcement between Tourism Malaysia and AirAsia MOVE at Wisma Capital A.
KUALA LUMPUR, 12 October 2026 – AirAsia MOVE (MOVE) and Tourism Malaysia have launched the Oh Sem Malaysia! campaign aimed at boosting travel across the country, highlighting its secondary cities and hidden gems. The initiative expands the public-private strategic partnership, which offers curated travel experiences, destination-led promotions, and exclusive deals in line with the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign.
The strategic partnership will focus on campaigns and travel promotions that encourage domestic travel for Malaysians as well as inspiring travellers to explore and venture beyond the usual hotspots. This will further strengthen Malaysia’s appeal in various tourism segments, including cultural heritage, gastronomy, hospitality, eco-tourism, and more.
YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, said, “Our collaboration with AirAsia MOVE provides us with a great opportunity to reach more Malaysians and inspire them to discover the many destinations and experiences available across the country during the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign. Domestic tourism continues to play an important role in supporting local tourism businesses and communities, and through active joint campaigns and promotions, we hope to encourage more Malaysians to travel locally and experience Malaysia’s abundance of offerings, ranging from gastronomy to natural landscapes and more.”
Chan Kok Ding, Head of Commercial, AirAsia MOVE, said, “Malaysia is home to extraordinary hidden gems, and local travellers play a vital role in championing the places and cultures that make our country special. As a home-grown brand and leading Online Travel Agent (OTA) in Southeast Asia, AirAsia MOVE has the digital reach, data insights, and intuitive app features to convert travel inspiration into seamless bookings. Through our partnership with Tourism Malaysia, we are using our platform to highlight emerging destinations to Malaysians and those who call Malaysia home, while showcasing the very best of the nation. We are fully committed to playing our part in making Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 a resounding success by driving tourism growth from both domestic and regional markets.”
Through joint marketing initiatives and co-branded campaigns, the partnership aims to drive greater interest in destinations across the country, support local tourism businesses and create more opportunities for communities to benefit from domestic tourism. In turn, the economic spillover effect can be shared with all levels of society, contributing to stronger economic growth and improving overall living standards.
This partnership will also boost the momentum of domestic visitor arrivals during VM2026–2027, complementing the existing record of 151.6 million visitors in the first half of 2026. This represents a 5.6 per cent increase compared with 143.5 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2025. In 2025 alone, tourism generated RM323.0 billion in Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries (GVATI), contributing 15.9 per cent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Together, MOVE and Tourism Malaysia aim to build greater awareness and interest in Malaysia’s destinations and local offerings. The partnership, anchored by a joint marketing campaign, provides travellers with more reasons to explore the country. AirAsia MOVE users will enjoy up to 20% travel savings across flights, hotels, SNAP! flight + hotel packages, airport rides and attractions during the campaign period.
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About Tourism Malaysia
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). It focuses on promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination and has, since its establishment, played a significant role in strengthening the country’s presence and competitiveness in the global tourism landscape.
Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 (VM2026–2027) underscores Malaysia’s commitment to sustainable tourism development, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The campaign aims to showcase the nation’s diverse natural attractions, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant tourism offerings, while driving inclusive growth and long-term value for local communities and industry stakeholders.
For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s website www.tourism.gov.my and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.
About AirAsia MOVE (MOVE)
AirAsia MOVE (MOVE) is Capital A’s travel platform and voted Asia’s Best Travel Booking App at the World Travel Tech Awards for three consecutive years since 2023. It envisions a comprehensive travel ecosystem, offering affordable, seamless, and personalised travel experiences across ASEAN and beyond. As a travel platform, MOVE offers over 700 global airlines and more than a million hotels worldwide, along with a full suite of travel services including airport transfers, travel insurance, duty-free shopping, attractions, live event ticketing, and more.
The platform aims to be a social experience for travellers, evolving into a robust community to facilitate discovery and conversational commerce, complemented by a strong loyalty programme and the AI-driven AskBo chatbot. Download the MOVE App on the App Store, Google Play Store, and HUAWEI AppGallery. For the latest updates, follow @airasiamove on Instagram and TikTok.
