Tourism Malaysia expands India outreach with Haryanty Abu Bakar’s Appointment in Mumbai

Tourism Malaysia has announced the appointment of Ms. Haryanty Abu Bakar as the new Director of its Mumbai office, effective 13 April 2026, reinforcing Malaysia’s aggressive expansion plans in the high-potential Indian outbound market. Haryanty will now lead Malaysia’s tourism promotion and trade development across Western and Central India along with the Maldives, at a crucial time when the destination is intensifying its campaigns under Visit Malaysia 2026.

Bringing with her extensive experience from both domestic and international tourism portfolios, Haryanty is widely recognised for her successful tenure as Director of Tourism Malaysia Sabah, where she played a key role in positioning Sabah as one of Malaysia’s most sought-after eco, wildlife and adventure tourism regions. Prior to that, as Deputy Director in Jakarta, she built strong relationships with Indonesian travel trade partners to drive inbound tourism to Malaysia, while deepening her understanding of the ASEAN tourism landscape. Under her leadership, Sabah’s tourism promotions focused strongly on nature trails, marine adventures, indigenous culture, community tourism and experiential holidays aligned with the Visit Malaysia 2026 roadmap.

Sabah & Sarawak to be Malaysia’s Next Big Pitch for Second-Time Indian Visitors

In a strategic shift beyond Kuala Lumpur, Genting, Langkawi and Penang, Tourism Malaysia Mumbai will now actively spotlight Sabah and Sarawak as fresh destination choices for second-time Indian travellers who are looking to explore a different side of Malaysia.

These two East Malaysian states are increasingly being positioned as the country’s answer to the rising demand for: adventure holidays, rainforest expeditions, diving and island escapes, tribal and indigenous cultural experiences, wildlife tourism, mountain trekking, river cruises and eco retreats.

For Indian repeat travellers who have already experienced Malaysia’s urban shopping and family attractions, Sabah and Sarawak promise an entirely new layer of discovery — one that is raw, immersive and nature-driven.

From orangutan encounters in Sandakan, diving in Sipadan, Kinabalu trekking and Borneo wildlife in Sabah to Sarawak’s caves, tribal longhouses, rainforest biodiversity and heritage culture, Tourism Malaysia sees these regions as the next growth engines for premium and experiential outbound traffic from India.

A Strong India Focus Ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026

Malaysia continues to view India as one of its most valuable source markets. The destination recorded an impressive 42.2 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, marking an 11.2 per cent growth over the previous year, while Indian arrivals crossed 1.5 million, supported by the continuation of visa-free entry for Indian nationals and increasing flight connectivity.

Connectivity between the two countries remains one of Malaysia’s strongest advantages, with 237 weekly direct flights from 14 Indian cities connecting Indian travellers to major Malaysian gateways including Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi.

This accessibility, combined with Malaysia’s easy visa regime, value-for-money holiday products, family-friendly infrastructure and short-haul convenience, has made the destination a favourite among honeymooners, family holidaymakers, MICE groups and leisure FITs from India.

Fresh Leadership, Fresh Market Direction

With Haryanty Abu Bakar now at the helm in Mumbai, the focus is expected to move beyond conventional promotions into deeper market segmentation — targeting honeymooners, women travellers, adventure enthusiasts, luxury seekers and repeat holidaymakers with customised regional experiences.

As Visit Malaysia 2026 gathers momentum, the Mumbai office is expected to roll out stronger B2B engagements, joint promotions, themed consumer campaigns and destination education around lesser-known Malaysian gems.