Ministry in talks to bring China GT Championship, int’l racing events to M’sia

Tiong (second left) and others during discussions between Motac and Top Speed Sports Events China in Shanghai, China. Photo: Tiong King Sing/Facebook

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 29: The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (Motac) is in discussions with Top Speed Sports Events China to bring more international motorsport events to Malaysia—including the possibility of hosting future rounds of the China GT Championship.

In a Facebook post, Motac minister, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, said these followed discussions with the Chinese sports event operator, which also included how large-scale sporting events can be leveraged to boost tourism, increase visitor spending, and attract more international travellers.

“The China GT Championship is one of the fastest-growing motorsport brands in China. Following a major restructuring over the past two years, the racing series has seen sustained growth in audience interest, media coverage, and attendance figures.

“It is now regarded as one of China’s leading racing championships, backed strongly by local authorities,” said Tiong, who is also the assemblyman for Dudong and MP for Bintulu.

During the meeting, which was held in conjunction with Tiong’s working visit to Shanghai, he said that the organisers also expressed their interest in staging more international-level racing events in Malaysia, with the Sepang International Circuit serving as a key hub.

“The concept is to combine racing experiences with tourism packages and regional promotional campaigns to attract more international participants—particularly visitors from China—to Malaysia through motorsport events,” said Tiong.

He elaborated that the company has been active in the Asian market for many years and has operated in Malaysia for over two decades.

“In their view, Malaysia’s world-class racing facilities, strong regional connectivity, and proven event-hosting capabilities make the country an ideal platform for international motorsports,” he said.

It was also revealed that plans were shared to organise a related racing event in November this year, supported by tourism packages, ticketing platforms, and regional marketing initiatives.

“The team believes that racing culture in China has expanded rapidly in recent years and that, when combined with entertainment elements and fan engagement, it has strong potential to attract regional audiences while benefiting hotels, transportation services, food and beverage businesses, and surrounding enterprises.

“I emphasised that we are seeking genuine synergy between events and tourism, rather than one-off activities. As such, I have requested the relevant parties to follow up promptly with the appropriate authorities regarding matters such as event approvals, promotional frameworks, and inter-agency cooperation.

“This is to ensure that when international events are hosted in Malaysia, they are supported by a comprehensive ecosystem capable of fully realising the benefits of sports tourism, economic impact, and global visibility,” he said.

Tiong also added that the discussion proved that Malaysia is not only a holiday destination, but it also has the capacity to host international events, regional championships, and large-scale conventions.

“If we continue to successfully attract more high-quality global events, I am confident that this will help diversify our visitor profile and further strengthen Malaysia’s position on the regional tourism map.” — DayakDaily