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KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has suggested Malaysia move away from one-off “Visit Malaysia Year” campaigns in favour of continuous annual tourism promotion.

He said Sarawak welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to extend Visit Malaysia Year 2026 to 2027 but preferred a longer-term branding approach, adding that tourism should not be confined to a specific campaign period.

Abdul Karim said countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines have adopted consistent tourism branding strategies, citing Indonesia’s “Wonderful Indonesia” as an example of year-round promotion.

He said a continuous approach would support steady growth in the sector and questioned the effectiveness of extending campaign-based promotions, including the use of materials tied to specific years.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Visit Malaysia 2026 would be extended to 2027, while Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the move takes into account global challenges affecting aviation and hospitality sectors.