Kuala lumpur: The government is allocating more than RM700 million to boost tourism promotion and activities under Budget 2026, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this allocation includes RM500 million to support the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026) campaign, RM60 million for promotional incentives, marketing, and organising tourism and cultural events. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, mentioned that RM50 million has been set aside to support artisans and heritage entrepreneurs such as craftsmen, batik makers, and weavers in generating income, while RM20 million will be allocated to strengthen health tourism programmes managed by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.

Anwar outlined a target to attract 47 million visitors and generate RM329 billion in tourism revenue, a goal that aims to benefit small traders, tourism entrepreneurs, rural communities, craft producers, and Malaysians nationwide. This announcement was made during the budget presentation at Dewan Rakyat.

An allocation of RM25 million will focus on improving tourism infrastructure, including the conservation of UNESCO heritage sites such as Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Lenggong Valley in Perak, and the newly designated FRIM Forest Park in Selangor.

Anwar also revealed that RM50 million will be allocated as matching grants to encourage international flights and charter services to Malaysia. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has attracted 10 international airlines, including British Airways, Hong Kong Express, and Jiangxi Air, with Langkawi remaining a key tourist destination. The government plans to develop geopark tourism products, such as Kilim Geoforest Park, the Selat Panchor cave trail, and hiking geotrails within the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark.