MALAYSIA- The Thai government and the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) will collaborate to advance the tourism industry, with a focus on states bordering Thailand, such as Kelantan.
According to its president, Nigel Wong, this initiative is in response to the Ministry of Transport’s (MoT) declaration that buses from Thailand will be permitted entry into Malaysia.
At the opening of the new Kelantan Matta office in Jalan Pengkalan Chepa here, he expressed his hope to reporters that “the entry of buses from this country into Thailand will be facilitated.”
“We consider the MoT’s facilities to be an excellent initiative to draw visitors from Thailand to strengthen the nation’s tourism industry and align with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026).
Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor, the head of the Kelantan Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Heritage Committee, was also present during the event.
To boost the Kelantan tourist industry, Wong claims that Matta will be visiting the Association of Thai Travel Agents in a few months.
“After this, we will expand this cooperation to involve other states, including Kelantan, if previously we had a memorandum of understanding (MoU) involving Perak and Thailand,” he declared.
On May 13, the Ministry of Transportation (MoT) permitted buses from Thailand to travel through all states in Malaysia, not just those close to the border, but only after obtaining permission from the Land Public Transport Agency.
When questioned about the intended arrival of 26.1 million foreign visitors in conjunction with the VMY2026, Wong responded that Matta’s strong international connections with China, Europe, and other nations will allow the number to be reached.
For instance, Matta’s membership in the World Tourism Alliance benefits us in terms of advancing the nation’s tourism industry. We also have a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance,” he added.
“Matta has also joined the European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, which is made up of almost 40,000 tourism-related organizations. This provides us with the chance to increase tourism-related promotions within the nation,” he added-Bernama
