17/10/2025

FRIDAY | OCT 17, 2025

21

LYFE

Four hotels get Michelin Keys honours

hospitality experience rather than individual amenities. The distinctions are: 0 One Michelin Key A very special stay with character and An exceptional stay with unique charm and a strong sense of place. 0 Three Michelin Keys An extraordinary stay offering the pinnacle of comfort, service and design. The Michelin Guide last week unveiled its inaugural Global Michelin Keys Selection, recognising 2,457 hotels for outstanding stays. Following the launch of the Michelin Key distinctions in 15 destinations last year, Michelin Guide Inspectors have evaluated over 7,000 hotels. exceptional service. 0 Two Michelin Keys

cultural experiences. 0 Else Kuala Lumpur (One Michelin Key) A design-forward hotel in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, offering contemporary luxury, curated art and personalised service. 0 Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur (One Michelin Key) This hotel combines urban sophistication with panoramic views, featuring elegant rooms, fine dining and a prime location near KLCC. 0 The RuMa Hotel and Residences (One Michelin Key) This hotel offers understated luxury with Malaysian charm, spacious suites and a tranquil ambiance in the city centre. Michelin Keys are awarded based on five criteria, evaluating the overall

M ALAYSIA has joined the Michelin Keys Selection with four hotels recognised – one Two Michelin Keys and three One Michelin Key hotels. The standout properties that exemplify the country’s distinctive hospitality are: 0 Four Seasons Resort Langkawi (Two Michelin Keys) A beachfront sanctuary surrounded by nature, offering private villas, holistic wellness and immersive o Premises recognised for excellence in service

Concerts drive new travel, vacation trends in Asia Dick (left) and Sun inking the Live Nation Asia and Trip.com Group’s partnership earlier this week.

CONCERT travel is reshaping tourism in Asia, with fans crossing borders and booking trips to see the artistes they love. In Malaysia, at least 66% of travellers have planned a vacation around a concert at least once, according to Trip.com’s Momentum Survey. With many renowned global artistes adding shows in neighbouring countries, 44% of Malaysians have expressed willingness to travel internationally for them, while a majority (78%) are also willing to travel to remote locations for cheaper concert tickets. As live music becomes a growing driver of travel, the Trip.com Group and Live Nation Asia have inked a multi-year partnership to integrate travel and live music experiences across Asia. The partnership is designed to empower fans to follow the artistes they love while supporting regional tourism and elevating destination appeal in Asia. For Malaysian fans, they will be able to enjoy and seamlessly plan concert-focused trips across Hong TO tourism cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia, the Taiwan Rural Accommodation Association, together with the Taichung International Tourism Association recently led a 14-member industry delegation to Malaysia for the Island Vision – Taiwan-Malaysia Tourism Exchange. In collaboration with the Taiwan bilateral

Kong/Macau, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Mainland China through the collaboration, which combines exclusive presale access to shows with flights, hotels and curated local experiences through Trip.com Group’s platform. This partnership marks Trip.com Group’s first step into the live entertainment travel space, meeting evolving traveller demands and reflecting how tourism, hospitality and live entertainment are coming together in new ways. “Today’s music lovers are embracing immersive experiences that extend far beyond the concert itself,” said Trip.com Group chief marketing officer Bo Sun, while Live Nation Asia partnerships and media executive vice president James Dick claims that concert travel is redefining tourism. The partnership creates room for collaboration with local hotels, attractions and tourism stakeholders in these markets, building concert-driven products and experiences that encourage more bookings, longer stays and greater destination appeal in Asia.

Michelin Keys is a new benchmark for excellence in lodging.

deepen Taiwanese delegation visits Malaysia to strenghten tourism collaboration Tourism Bureau KL office, the visit was part of the Healing Travel campaign, featuring a series of business matchmaking sessions, consumer events and industry site visits that explored potential areas for collaboration between the two nations’ tourism sectors. senior officials from Selangor, aimed at establishing deeper and more strategic partnerships.

environment – this presents a natural opportunity for cooperation,” she said. The delegation later paid a courtesy call on Lau Weng San, Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, who proposed an innovative idea to transform the State Assembly building into a destination for democratic education and tourism. Lau emphasised that the Assembly should become “an open,

transparent story-rich destination”, offering a new approach to tourism development. In another dialogue with Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, both parties explored the shared cultural significance of night market culture. Lee observed that while Taiwan’s night markets are known for their “creative theming”, Malaysia’s are rooted in “local community spirit” – two characteristics that could inspire cross-learning between both destinations. Over the six-day Island Vision – Taiwan-Malaysia Tourism Exchange, the programme included business networking, consumer engagement and site visits that outlined possible avenues for future collaboration in halal tourism, creative attractions and cultural experiences. Concluding the visit, Taiwan Rural Accommodation Association chairperson Lai Shuw Wei said: “Our mission was to boost tourism cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia. We aim to create localised travel experiences that highlight Taiwan’s hospitality and Taichung’s tourism strengths.” and

During the meeting with Tourism Selangor CEO Chua Yee Ling, both sides discussed the growing potential of the Muslim tourism market. “Malaysia is one of the world’s most attractive halal tourism destinations, and Taiwan is actively developing a Muslim-friendly

Beyond business meetings and industry visits, a key highlight of the trip was the series of dialogues with

The B2B event has attracted more than 60 tourism industry participants.

Taiwanese industry

representatives taking a group photo with Lau (front row, sixth from right).