Malaysia bullish on India biz

India’s share in Malaysia’s M!CE business is 48%, says Mohammad Isa Abdul Halim, Director, Meeting and Support Incentives, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, underscoring the importance of India market for them.

Janice Alyosius

Mohammad Isa Abdul Halim, Director, Meeting and Support Incentives, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), sheds light on the remarkable growth trajectory of Malaysia’s business events industry. He underlines the strategic importance of India in Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to expand its footprint in the global M!CE sector.

“The number of business events, or M!CE, in Malaysia has been consistently increasing each year. The Indian market is a significant focus for us, as it contributes approximately 48 per cent of our delegates for conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings, and incentives,” he shares.

In a bid to further bolster ties with the Indian market, MyCEB actively participated in the Tourism Malaysia’s sales mission across key Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and New Delhi. These engagements underscore Malaysia’s commitment to fostering robust partnerships and tapping into the immense potential offered by India’s burgeoning M!CE segment.

One of the pivotal factors expected to catalyse the influx of Indian delegates into Malaysia is the introduction of visa-free travel for Indian nationals. “India has been a vital market for Malaysia, and we anticipate a 15 to 20 per cent increase in Indian delegates visiting Malaysia, especially with the introduction of visa-free travel for Indians,” Halim said.

He revealed that Malaysia has secured an impressive line-up of 351 events, scheduled from 2023 to 2030, signifying the country’s unwavering commitment to positioning itself as a preferred M!CE destination on the global stage. “India remains a cornerstone of Malaysia’s M!CE strategy, with 229,000 international delegates hailing from India, constituting nearly half of the total delegate count. To capitalise on this momentum and further incentivise engagement from the Indian market, MyCEB has rolled out a pioneering initiative under the ‘Meet in Malaysia’ campaign dubbed ‘MyTripleE’. This incentive package, encompassing Excel, Elevate, and Enliven components, caters to both large-scale and small-group corporate meetings and incentives, offering a compelling value proposition until 31 December 2024,” he informed.

The MyTripleE is a support programme under MyCEB’s Meet in Malaysia campaign to attract regional and international business events to Malaysia while boosting domestic business events market in line with the MyCEB Business Events Strategic Marketing Plan 2021-2030.

Looking ahead, Halim expressed optimism regarding the prospects of Malaysia’s business events industry, fuelled by the anticipated surge in Indian delegates.

“With the continued growth in Indian participation, Malaysia is poised to enhance its offerings and solidify its status as a premier M!CE destination, setting the stage for sustained success in the years to come,” he concluded.