20/10/2026

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TUESDAY | OCT 20, 2026

Berjaya taps its global hotel network to woo visitors to M’sia o Hospitality arm signs MoU withTourism Malaysia to supportVisit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA

LUMPUR:

Berjaya

Hospitality is leveraging its international hotel network to attract more travellers to Malaysia, using its overseas properties and digital platforms to promote local destinations and generate bookings for its Malaysian hotels and resorts. This expansion follows the group formalising a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tourism Malaysia to support the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign. BHG group general manager Pravir Mishra said Berjaya hotels overseas can serve as windows into the country. “Through our lobbies, guest rooms, digital platforms and guest engagements, we can showcase Malaysia’s beautiful destinations, rich cultural heritage, diverse cuisine and unique experiences,” he said at the MoU signing yesterday. Tourism Malaysia director general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim and Mishra formalised the MoU at Berjaya Times Square Hotel here. Syed Ali Shahul Hameed, group CEO of Berjaya Property Bhd, also attended the ceremony. Mishra said the group is moving beyond conventional tourism promotion by working closely with Tourism Malaysia and its inter national offices on joint campaigns and travel-trade engagement. “Wherever Berjaya is present, Malaysia will always be at heart. We want our international hospitality network to serve as an ambassador for Malaysia, inspiring guests to discover our country and experience its warmth and diversity,” he said. The partnership includes BHG’s participation in Tourism Malaysia’s international sales missions, familiar isation trips for media repre sentatives and travel-trade partners, and the development of targeted marketing campaigns and exclusive packages. BHG will promote the national tourism campaign through its hotels and resorts in Malaysia and overseas, while Tourism Malaysia will amplify the group’s digital presence through social media, influencer colla borations and online platforms. “We look forward to developing Group (BHG)

From left: Berjaya Hospitality Group head of commercial William Tan, Mishra, Mohd Amirul Rizal and Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (promotion) and head of secretariat Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 Mohd Akbal Setia at the signing ceremony at Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

hotels and resorts. The promotion requires a minimum stay of two nights at participating city hotels or three nights at participating resorts. Bookings are open until Dec 31, 2026, for stays through June 30, 2027, via the group’s website. Guests will also receive one of seven destination postcards con taining an exclusive promotional code for future stays, valid until Dec 31, 2027. Mishra said the promotion demonstrated how the hospitality industry could complement national tourism promotion by en couraging travellers to explore more

Beyond Malaysia, its international portfolio includes Berjaya Hakkoda Ski Resort in Japan, Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya, Berjaya Eden Park London Hotel and Berjaya Makati Hotel in the Philippines. Mishra said China contributed more than 16,000 room nights to the group in 2025, while India accounted for more than 45,000 room nights, highlighting the importance of these international markets to its business. However, he did not specify whether the figures related exclusively to its Malaysian properties. As part of the partnership, BHG will offer discounts of up to 70% on room rates at participating Malaysian

more strategic initiatives with Tourism Malaysia, including joint international campaigns, travel-trade engagements and collaborations that translate awareness into actual visits,” Syed Ali said. BHG operates and manages more than 30 hotels and resorts across 21 destinations in eight countries. In Malaysia, it has 10 hotels and resorts across seven destinations, with a total inventory of 2,974 rooms. Its Malaysian portfolio includes The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort on Redang Island, Berjaya Langkawi Resort, The Chateau Spa & Wellness Resort in Berjaya Hills, and city hotels.

of Malaysia. He highlighted tourism’s contri bution to the Malaysian economy, saying the industry generated RM323 billion in value added in 2025, equi valent to 15.9% of gross domestic product, and supported 3.7 million jobs. “These figures reflect the industry’s significant role in creating business opportunities, supporting livelihoods and benefiting communities across the country,” he said. BHG looked forward to building a strategic relationship with Tourism Malaysia that would deliver practical initiatives and contribute to the continued growth of the country’s tourism industry, Mishra said.

Malaysia is back in business, Amir Hamzah tells IMF-World Bank meetings BANGKOK: Malaysia’s message at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank Group Annual Meetings here is clear: the country is back in business, backed by political stability, policy clarity and sustained reforms that are strengthening investor confidence amid global uncertainty. 5.2%in each of the past two years, with growth reaching 5.7% in the latest quarter, reflecting the resilience of its industries and their continued role in global supply chains. “The biggest message that Malaysia tells people is that Malaysia is back in business,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the meetings. nance through reforms, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Government Procurement Act. Further legislation covering subsidies and government-linked enterprises would strengthen transparency and accountability. subscribed 4.7 times and secured competitive pricing. Amir Hamzah said the govern ment was focused on ensuring that investment and economic growth translated into better incomes and opportunities for Malaysians through higher wages, skills development and greater participation by local busi nesses in supply chains. domestic economy. “The world has seen that, and is actually very impressed that Malaysia has been able to do all these things, which means that FDI has come in very strongly,” he said.

Amir Hamzah said the annual meetings provided an important platform for Malaysia to showcase its economic progress, strengthen inter national confidence and learn from global developments to accelerate domestic reforms. He said the ultimate goal was to build a stronger, high-income eco-nomy in which the benefits of growth were shared more widely among Malaysians, including future generations.

“These reforms were important in assuring investors that Malaysia’s policies and institutions were becoming more robust and sus tainable, reinforcing confidence in the country’s economic prospects,”he said. He added that investor confidence was also reflected in Malaysia’s recent US$1.5 billion (RM6.2 billion) global sukuk issuance, which was over

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said these factors had helped attract foreign direct invest ment (FDI), while Malaysia’s economy remained resilient despite geo political tensions and disruptions to global trade. He said Malaysia recorded gross domestic product (GDP) growth of

He shared that Malaysia was also embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation to improve pro ductivity, modernise public services and create higher-value jobs, while ensuring that new investments, particularly in data centres, generated greater benefits for the

Amir Hamzah led the Malaysian delegation to the annual meetings, held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok from Oct 12 to 18. He said Malaysia was also demonstrating its commitment to fiscal discipline and good gover