Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) today formalised a landmark partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in Kuala Lumpur. This collaboration marks a significant step in enhancing Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global medical tourism sector as the country prepares for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) and the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026).
The MOC establishes a strategic framework for both agencies to strengthen Malaysia’s branding as a world-class medical and wellness destination. It sets out joint promotional efforts, enhances industry collaboration, and expands market outreach to attract high-value healthcare travellers. This supports the national tourism agenda for VM2026, which aims to welcome 47 million international visitors, with medical tourism positioned as one of the key contributors.
Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, said that the partnership reflects a strong commitment to elevating Malaysia as a premier destination that combines exceptional tourism experiences with world-class healthcare services. As Visit Malaysia 2026 approaches, he emphasised that the medical tourism segment will play a vital role in attracting quality visitors and boosting tourism receipts. He expressed confidence that the collaboration with MHTC will foster meaningful opportunities for growth and strengthen Malaysia’s position globally.
Mr. Suriaghandi Suppiah, CEO of MHTC, shared that Malaysia Healthcare is proud to collaborate with Tourism Malaysia in promoting the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026. He stated that the MOC is designed to strengthen joint promotional activities and provide healthcare travellers with a smooth and seamless experience. He added that this united effort will help position Malaysia as a safe, reliable and preferred destination for medical and wellness treatments.
Under this collaboration, Tourism Malaysia and MHTC will coordinate targeted promotional activities across priority markets, including ASEAN, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. These regions have been identified for their strong demand for high-quality medical and wellness treatments. Joint marketing initiatives, trade engagements and data-sharing will support the development of integrated healthcare travel packages while strengthening Malaysia’s presence and visibility in these markets.
Medical tourism remains one of Malaysia’s most influential niche segments, contributing significantly to the tourism ecosystem through longer average stays, higher spending per visitor and multiplier effects across hospitality, retail, transportation and wellness-based services. Malaysia’s internationally accredited hospitals, highly skilled multilingual medical professionals, competitive treatment pricing and exceptional hospitality continue to position the country as an attractive choice for patients seeking quality care abroad.
This collaboration represents a unified national effort to maximize the potential of medical tourism as Malaysia prepares to welcome millions of visitors in 2026. It aims to further strengthen the country’s global tourism competitiveness while contributing to sustainable, long-term economic growth.
