New Delhi/Kuala Lumpur – In a significant move to bolster tourism ties between India and Southeast Asia, Shri Pabitra Margherita, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles (MoS‑PM), will lead a high-profile delegation to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair in Kuala Lumpur on April 18-19, 2025. The delegation’s participation at this prominent event is part of the ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme 2025, an initiative designed to deepen tourism linkages between the ASEAN region and India while promoting under-explored destinations, particularly in North-East India.
ASEAN-India Year of Tourism 2025: A Historic Milestone
The year 2025 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism following the 21st ASEAN-India Summit, where leaders from both regions recognized the importance of tourism in building mutual understanding, fostering economic cooperation, and enhancing people-to-people connections. With over 1.3 billion people in the ASEAN and Indian regions, tourism remains one of the most effective means to connect the cultures, economies, and peoples of the two regions.
As part of this initiative, the ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme 2025 has been crafted with the goal of facilitating greater cooperation between tourism professionals, tour operators, and destination management organizations (DMOs) from both regions. The event in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), will provide a platform for showcasing India’s diverse tourism offerings, with particular emphasis on the North-East region.
India’s Participation at the MATTA Fair: Showcasing North-East India
India’s presence at the MATTA Fair is expected to be a key highlight of the ASEAN-India tourism year. The event will feature a dedicated pavilion where India will promote its rich cultural heritage, scenic landscapes, and emerging tourism products. North-East India, a region often underrepresented in mainstream tourism narratives, will be at the center of India’s promotional efforts.
The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) is collaborating with the Ministry of External Affairs to organize the event, which will include an array of activities such as:
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Destination showcases: Exhibitions and interactive displays to highlight the unique tourism experiences available in the North-East, including eco-tourism, tribal tourism, heritage tourism, and adventure tourism.
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B2B Meetings: India will facilitate business-to-business interactions between Indian tourism operators, including hoteliers, tour guides, and local service providers, and Malaysian travel agencies and operators. This will help establish long-term partnerships and strengthen trade links between the two nations.
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Networking opportunities: The event will provide a platform for networking between industry professionals from both countries, exploring synergies, partnerships, and joint marketing campaigns aimed at enhancing tourism between ASEAN countries and India.
The participation at the fair comes at a time when India’s North-East is gaining increasing attention for its untapped potential as a tourism hub. Known for its diverse culture, natural beauty, and rich tribal heritage, the region is expected to attract a significant number of international tourists in the coming years, particularly from neighboring countries like Malaysia.
Bilateral Engagements and Business Interactions
In addition to the fair, Shri Pabitra Margherita’s visit will include a series of bilateral meetings and high-level engagements with officials from Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, as well as leading players from the Malaysian tourism and hospitality sector. These discussions will focus on:
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Promoting India as a year-round tourism destination: India’s varied landscapes and cultural experiences make it a year-round destination. Discussions are expected to focus on increasing air connectivity between ASEAN countries and India, facilitating easier travel for Malaysian tourists to India’s heritage sites, cities, and coastal regions.
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Joint promotional campaigns: India and Malaysia are likely to explore co-branded marketing efforts, leveraging both countries’ tourism strengths to attract tourists from third markets such as Europe and the Middle East.
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Skill development: One of the key outcomes of the exchange programme could be a commitment to skill-building initiatives, where Indian and Malaysian tourism professionals share best practices, training, and capacity-building measures for tour operators, hoteliers, and guides.
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Cultural and heritage exchanges: As part of India’s strategy to promote soft power through tourism, cultural exchanges could be a major talking point. These exchanges will help build mutual respect and understanding between the people of India and Malaysia, while also promoting tourism through art, music, and food.
Engaging the Indian Diaspora
A crucial part of Shri Margherita’s visit will also be engaging with the Indian diaspora in Malaysia, particularly with the Indian community residing in Kuala Lumpur and other cities. With over 600,000 Indian nationals in Malaysia, the diaspora plays an essential role in facilitating tourism flows between both countries.
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Promoting “Visit India” campaigns: Engaging the diaspora in promoting travel to India, particularly for cultural and family tourism, will be an important theme. Many Indian expatriates have strong familial ties with India, and their participation in tourism promotional activities can amplify outreach efforts.
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Collaborating with local businesses: The Indian diaspora also plays a key role in local businesses. Establishing partnerships between Indian and Malaysian entrepreneurs could pave the way for joint ventures in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors.
Looking Ahead: A Comprehensive Tourism Partnership
Shri Pabitra Margherita’s visit is part of India’s ongoing efforts to enhance regional tourism integration under the Act East Policy, which focuses on strengthening ties with ASEAN countries, particularly in areas of economic and cultural exchange.
The ASEAN-India Tourism Professionals Exchange Programme 2025 is expected to serve as a platform not just for business, but also for fostering deeper diplomatic relations between the two regions, advancing common goals such as sustainable tourism, inclusive growth, and regional connectivity.
In the coming months, India is expected to host similar events in other ASEAN countries, further building momentum for greater tourism collaboration.
Conclusion
The visit by Shri Pabitra Margherita to Kuala Lumpur underscores India’s commitment to expanding its tourism footprint in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on North-East India. Through participation in MATTA 2025, India aims to showcase its diversity, foster bilateral business partnerships, and enhance people-to-people ties. The broader ASEAN-India tourism cooperation, propelled by this exchange, is poised to unlock new opportunities for both regions in the global tourism market.
For official updates and statements, visit the Ministry of External Affairs.
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