Tourism Malaysia welcomes travellers at KIA with festive Aidilfitri reception

KUCHING (March 23): Tourism Malaysia welcomed domestic and international visitors at the Kuching International Airport on Monday with a vibrant Hari Raya Aidilfitri reception in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).

The event was part of nine simultaneous receptions held in other major airports in the country including Johor, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Perak and Sabah.

Tourism Malaysia board director Synthia Law attended the reception here and warmly greeted visitors at the arrival hall with festive souvenirs and goodie bags.

“It is VM2026 and we want visitors arriving in Sarawak to feel welcomed. Today, we are representing Malaysia as ambassadors, especially to non-Malaysians, showcasing our hospitality,” she said.

She added there were over 1,000 arrivals yesterday, including travellers from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

“This is only the third month of the year, and we typically receive between 100,000 and 200,000 domestic and international visitors, especially during the festive season.

“Based on last year’s report, this is our estimated average number of visitors to Sarawak,” she said.

Law also noted that the ongoing global conflicts have not affected tourism in Sarawak, but may have slightly impacted international transits in Kuala Lumpur.

At the arrival hall, passengers arriving on AirAsia flights from Kuala Lumpur (MH2520 and AK5232) and Singapore (AK1776) were treated to cultural performances by a local dance troupe, showcasing Sarawak’s rich heritage.

Organising Malaysian festive celebrations at airports is among Tourism Malaysia’s ongoing strategies under the VM2026 campaign to provide a meaningful arrival experience, strengthen destination branding and promote Malaysia as a culturally rich and safe destination year-round.

Also present were Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts head of events section Tracy Evon; Sarawak Tourism Board senior director Maurice Balang; Business Events Sarawak acting chief executive officer Jason Tan; and Tourism Malaysia package development director Zuraini Abdul Ghani.