The 59th National MATTA Fair officially opened yesterday at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), riding on Malaysia’s strongest tourism momentum in years and drawing massive crowds eager to explore both local and international destinations.
The three-day fair, which occupies 10 exhibition halls with 2,054 booths from over 306 participating organisations, is expected to attract between 150,000 and 180,000 visitors and generate up to RM220 million in sales, according to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA). The strong turnout reflects continued confidence in the travel sector despite global challenges.
“Besides all the geopolitical issues that we are facing today and the many natural and man-made challenges, tourism has proven to be an extremely resilient, adaptive and flexible industry,” said MATTA President Nigel Wong after the opening ceremony. “The crowd looks very good. Our buses were full and the halls were packed.”
DOMESTIC TRAVEL TAKES CENTRE STAGE
A notable trend at this edition is the overwhelming interest in domestic travel, with the local tourism hall completely packed on the first day. Wong highlighted that domestic tourism has become an increasingly important contributor to the MATTA Fair, generating between RM50 million and RM60 million in sales at each edition.
“People are planning their holidays not just abroad, but locally as well. Especially with the school holidays coming, we have seen a very packed domestic hall,” Wong said. “This marks a new shift in Malaysian travel. We are beginning to explore our own backyard.”
To encourage more local holidays, MATTA has partnered with Tourism Malaysia for an “Explore and Win” promotion, where visitors who purchase domestic holiday packages stand a chance to win prizes including motorcycles, local holiday packages and gadgets.
INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS DRAW STRONG INTEREST
While domestic travel is surging, outbound tourism remains a major attraction. The international halls at Level 3 feature 16 destinations, including China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Phuket, and Uzbekistan. New airline routes and a wider variety of destinations are expected to spur continued demand for regional travel.
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT
The fair is anchored by Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) as Official Airline Partner and Premier Sponsor, and RHB Bank as Official Bank Partner, offering expanded travel rewards and financing options. In a new development, MATTA signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Mara Liner Sdn Bhd to explore ways to improve ground transport reliability for the tourism sector. Mara Liner is providing 12 shuttle buses and a medic van at the fair to assist visitors.
VISIT MALAYSIA 2026 MOMENTUM
The fair comes at a pivotal moment for Malaysia’s tourism agenda. The country welcomed 42.2 million international visitors in 2025, an 11.2% increase from the previous year, with 21.2 million arrivals recorded in the first half of 2026 alone. Under Visit Malaysia 2026, the country is targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals and RM147.1 billion in tourism receipts by year-end. The campaign has been extended until the end of 2027, allowing more time to promote Malaysia’s destinations.
“We are actively seeking to build on this progress by making travel more accessible and trustworthy. As a Strategic Partner to Visit Malaysia 2026, MATTA will continue working closely with the Government and our industry partners to support the national tourism agenda and promote Malaysia as a preferred destination for travellers,” Wong said
