Malaysian Diplomat Calls For Deeper Ties With India
In a symbolic gesture celebrating shared heritage, Othman opened and concluded her address with traditional Malay pantuns, noting that just as jasmine blooms fragrance an entire village, vibrant tourism draws the peoples of Malaysia and India closer together
CHENNAI: The new Consul General of Malaysia in Chennai, Aida Safura Niza Othman, has called for deeper cooperation between Malaysia and India, describing tourism as one of the strongest pillars anchoring bilateral relations and people-to-people connections.
Addressing key industry stakeholders at an exclusive networking meet organised by Tourism Malaysia in Chennai on Thursday, Othman engaged with representatives from the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), SKÅL International, airline partners, and leading tour operators.
In a symbolic gesture celebrating shared heritage, Othman opened and concluded her address with traditional Malay pantuns, noting that just as jasmine blooms fragrance an entire village, vibrant tourism draws the peoples of Malaysia and India closer together. Reaffirming that India remains an essential strategic partner, she acknowledged the pivotal contributions of Indian travel agents and airlines in driving visitor numbers.
Inbound travel from India has registered remarkable momentum, expanding from approximately 1.13 million arrivals in 2024 to 1.56 million in 2025, and sustaining strong growth with 1.06 million arrivals recorded between January and September 2026. South India serves as the primary engine for this traffic, generating around 60 percent of all Indian visitors through strong direct flight networks from Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi.
Looking ahead to the nationwide Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, Othman urged travel planners to look beyond Kuala Lumpur and promote diverse regional destinations including Penang, Langkawi, Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka, and her home state of Johor.
Hishamuddin Mustafa, Director of Tourism Malaysia Chennai, and K. Vishnutharan, Consul (Immigration), spoke.