SHAH ALAM, Oct 10 — More than RM700 million has been allocated under Budget 2026 to revitalise the nation’s tourism sector, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Of that amount, RM25 million has been set aside to upgrade tourism facilities, including the preservation of Unesco sites like the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, the Lenggong Valley in Perak, and the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Forest Park in Selangor.
RM500 million will also be channelled towards the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 Campaign, alongside RM60 million to support promotional activities, marketing initiatives, and to organise tourism and cultural events.
“RM50 million will also be allocated to help arts and heritage practitioners generate income, including craft, batik, and weaving artisans, while RM50 million in matching grants will encourage international and charter flights to Malaysia.
“Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has successfully attracted 10 international airlines to Malaysia, including British Airways, Hong Kong Express, and Jiangxi Air,” he said when tabling Budget 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar added that RM20 million has also been allocated to enhance medical tourism programmes under the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.
On July 11, during the 47th World Heritage Committee Meeting in Paris, France, FRIM was officially recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The five other Unesco World Heritage Sites in Malaysia are Kinabalu Park in Sabah, Gunung Mulu National Park, the Historic Cities of Melaka and George Town, the Lenggong Valley, and the Niah Caves Archaeological Heritage in Sarawak.
Budget 2026, themed 'Fourth Madani Budget: The People’s Budget', is the first to be presented under the 13th Malaysia Plan 2026-2030.
