Malaysia eyes tourism boost from Azerbaijan with strategic promotion plan

Malaysia is preparing to launch a comprehensive program aimed at boosting tourist arrivals from Azerbaijan by engaging local tour operators, airlines, and media professionals in promotional efforts.

Speaking at the Malaysia-Azerbaijan seminar on trade, business, and tourism titled “Strengthening Relations Between Malaysia and Azerbaijan Through Economic and Tourism Cooperation,” Malaysia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan, Ahmad Kamrizamil Mohd Riza, said the initiative is currently in the planning phase and will be rolled out with the support of the Istanbul office of Tourism Malaysia.

“The program will be implemented based on a smart cost-sharing partnership model with Tourism Malaysia,” the ambassador explained. “This approach will enable us to promote tour packages not only through digital platforms but also via traditional advertising channels.”

As part of the campaign, Malaysian tourism authorities plan to invite well-known Azerbaijani influencers and content creators to visit the country. “They will have the opportunity to personally experience Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and share their impressions with their audiences. Our goal is to attract even more tourists from Azerbaijan,” Ambassador Kamrizamil stated.

Highlighting the rising interest among Azerbaijanis, the ambassador noted, “In 2024, a total of 2,382 Azerbaijani tourists visited Malaysia—an impressive growth of 80% compared to 2019 and 61.5% more than in 2023.”

He also announced that the first official launch of the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign will take place today in Baku.

“Our government has officially declared 2026 as Visit Malaysia Year,” the ambassador said. “As part of this initiative, we will promote Malaysia in Azerbaijan through extensive advertising campaigns, thematic tourism seminars, and direct B2B sessions between travel companies from both countries.”

By Tamilla Hasanova