M’sia eyes bigger Russian tourist market with tailored holiday packages following increase in visitors

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By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 28: Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing wants to see Malaysia’s tourism offerings become more visible across Russia, along with more holiday packages designed around what Russian travellers are looking for.

In a Facebook post, he said this followed a meeting with Ural Tourism Association president Mikhail Maltsev during his trip to Russia whereby the discussed how both countries could build stronger tourism ties.

“Russia remains an important source market for Malaysia. More than 31.5 million Russians travelled overseas in 2025, up eight per cent from the year before. About 20.14 million of those trips were for leisure and Malaysia welcomed 139,733 Russian visitors that year.

“In the first eight months of 2026, we received 98,466 Russian visitors, a 4.3 per cent increase over the same period last year. The numbers show there is still plenty of room for Malaysia to grow in this market,” he said.

Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman, said that advertising wasn’t enough, and that the best way to promote Malaysia is to bring more Russian travel agents to Malaysia, show them what each state has to offer, and help them curate and sell packages that fit their customers’ needs.

He also said that Maltsev shared that the Ural Tourism Association brings together travel agencies, airlines, media organisations, and higher education institutions.

Its members include Aeroflot, Red Wings Airlines, and several major Russian media outlets, giving the association a strong network to promote destinations.

“He also noted that the Ural region accounts for about 15 per cent of Russia’s outbound travellers and has a large high-income population. This gives Malaysia a real opportunity to reach a market with strong travel potential,” said Tiong. — DayakDaily

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