Tourism Malaysia and YTL Hotels signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at promoting Malaysia as a premier travel destination in Southeast Asia.
The collaboration underscores both parties’ commitment to jointly strengthening Malaysia’s position in the global tourism landscape through integrated marketing and promotional initiatives. By combining Tourism Malaysia’s extensive destination marketing network with YTL Hotels’ world-class hospitality expertise and portfolio of 35 distinctive properties, the partnership aims to enhance Malaysia’s profile among both domestic and international travellers.
Through this MoU, Tourism Malaysia and YTL Hotels will collaborate on joint promotional campaigns that complement each party’s existing marketing efforts, contributing to the national target of welcoming 47 million visitor arrivals for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). The partnership also aims to revitalise Malaysia’s tourism industry, particularly in international markets, through co-branding initiatives, cross-promotional marketing, and exclusive hospitality experiences across YTL Hotels’ renowned properties.
Additionally, YTL Hotels will further promote the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign through its appointed public relations agencies based in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Europe, Singapore, South Korea, and China, strengthening Malaysia’s visibility in key global markets.
YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, said: “This collaboration exemplifies the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving our national tourism goals. Together with YTL Hotels, we aim to create compelling travel experiences that showcase Malaysia’s diverse attractions, world-class accommodations, and Malaysian hospitality.”
Mr. Wayne Lee, Vice President of Operations Resorts at YTL Hotels, added, “We are honoured to partner with Tourism Malaysia in showcasing the very best of our country. This is closely aligned to our promise of curating ‘Treasured Places, Treasured Moments. Through this collaboration, we look forward to inspiring travellers from around the world to experience Malaysia, a destination that offers both timeless charm and modern appeal.”
The signing of this MoU represents a key milestone in advancing Malaysia’s tourism growth, underscoring the nation’s strong commitment and readiness to welcome global visitors for Visit Malaysia 2026 and beyond.
About Tourism Malaysia
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. The next Visit Malaysia, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation’s tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.
About YTL Hotels
YTL Hotels owns and manages a prestigious collection of award-winning resorts, hotels, boutique experiences, and Spa Villages, with a hospitality footprint across Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Australia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Notable properties include Pangkor Laut Resort, voted the World’s Best Resort in 2003 by Condé Nast Traveller UK and ranked among the Top 20 Best Resorts in Asia in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards US. The Gainsborough Bath Spa, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s prestigious collection, was ranked the 6th Best Hotel in the UK in the 2024 Condé Nast Traveller Awards. It has also been consistently listed as one of the Top Destination Spa Resorts in the World in both the 2022 and 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards US.
Additionally, both The Gainsborough Bath Spa in the UK and Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Japan, have earned the prestigious Michelin Key. The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui was recognised in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards US as one of the Top 15 Best Resorts in Thailand. Furthermore, Monkey Island Estate, Gaya Island Resort, and The Ritz-Carlton, KohSamui have been named in the 2025 edition of Fodor’s Finest as some of the Most Incredible Hotels in the World.
YTL Hotels’ portfolio embodies the brand’s promise of “Treasured Places, Treasured Moments” and includes the ownership and management of several Marriott International properties in Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, and Australia. This also encompasses distinctive hotels under the Autograph Collection and AC Hotels banners. Notable properties within the Marriott International partnership include The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, and Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur. The collaboration further features prominent hotels like The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui, and Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which was named one of TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2021. As Japan’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve, it plays a key role in YTL Hotels’ master plan for Niseko Village.
