SIBU: The government is committed to strengthening the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026) promotion as a platform to enhance national unity and expand the country's tourism network internationally.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato' Sri Tiong King Sing said that the tourism sector continues to show encouraging performance, with the number of visitors arriving from October to November approaching 80 million, far exceeding the previous year's achievement and far exceeding the initial target of around 38 million visitors.

Overall, he said, Malaysia is targeting up to RM300 million in terms of tourism-related revenue.

"Fingers crossed, we hope that by 2026, Malaysia will be able to attract more than 40 million international tourists," he said during a press conference in conjunction with the Sibujaya Countdown 2025 at the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre on Monday.

Commenting on the main focus of VMY2026, Dato' Sri Tiong stressed the importance of fostering national unity and harmony.

He called on Malaysians to respect each other's cultures and beliefs and to avoid turning cultural issues into political or religious polemics.

Meanwhile, the Dudong Assemblyman explained that organising events such as Sibujaya Countdown 2025 serves as an important platform to promote culture, traditional food, artistic performances, youth involvement and modern activities such as e-sports, thus reflecting the diversity and inclusiveness of Malaysian society.

"In terms of promoting food and cultural heritage, I encourage all races and states to showcase their respective identities, including Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Chinese cuisine and others, so that visitors can understand and appreciate the country's cultural richness," he said. -UKASnews