Malaysia has been announced as the host for the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 following a recent handover at Landmark Hotel, Vientiane, Laos, in conjunction with ATF 2024.
The last ATF in Malaysia was hosted in Kuching, Sarawak in 2014.
ATF rotates among the 10 ASEAN member countries.
Minister of tourism, arts and culture Malaysia, Tiong King Sing, received the handover baton alongside key figures, including Roslan Abdul Rahman, secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia (MOTAC); Ammar Abd Ghapar, director-general of Tourism Malaysia; and Edi Irwan bin Mahmud, Malaysian ambassador to Laos.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Tiong said: “We warmly welcome all of you to our country as we foresee this is an important and timely event for Malaysia, especially as we gear up for the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year set to take place in 2026. It is our hope that Malaysia will be your next destination to explore as we have a bit of everything for everyone.”
He highlighted the collaborative efforts of the Malaysian government, particularly MOTAC and the state government, to bolster the tourism industry. This includes enhancing tourism infrastructure, increasing direct flights to Malaysia, implementing visa-on-arrival, and fostering Muslim-friendly tourism.
The significance of Malaysia hosting ATF 2025 is amplified as the country will also assume the chairmanship of ASEAN in the same year.
