Bangladesh, Malaysia eye stronger tourism cooperation under Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign

Dhaka: Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen tourism cooperation and promote greater people-to-people exchanges, as both countries seek to expand bilateral engagement beyond trade and labor mobility.

The commitment was reflected in a joint statement issued following the official visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia, where he held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

According to the joint statement, both leaders expressed optimism about expanding tourism cooperation, particularly in light of Malaysia's flagship tourism initiatives — the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign and the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT2026).

Malaysia extended a warm welcome to Bangladeshi travelers and encouraged greater participation in the country's tourism and healthcare sectors. The two leaders also agreed to enhance tourism promotion activities and cultural exchanges to foster closer ties between their peoples.

The move is expected to create new opportunities for Bangladeshi tourists seeking leisure, business, and medical travel in Malaysia, a long-standing destination for Bangladeshi visitors due to its connectivity, cultural familiarity, and advanced healthcare facilities.

The leaders noted that stronger tourism collaboration would contribute to deeper bilateral relations and support economic growth through increased visitor flows and tourism-related business activities.

The tourism initiative forms part of broader efforts by Bangladesh and Malaysia to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, education, labor mobility, and cultural exchanges.