LAND TRANSPORT GAINS POPULARITY AMONG TOURISTS DURING VM2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 (Bernama) — Land transport services, especially buses, are emerging as a popular mode of travel during the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, connecting tourists to major towns across the country.

For Nabilah Mazlan, 29, who works in the hospitality sector, bus services remain a practical option for travelling from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur to meet her family while on holiday.

“I usually drive, but this time I chose the bus to save costs and avoid traffic congestion.

“Travelling by bus is more comfortable and allows me to rest throughout the journey,” she told Bernama when met upon arrival at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) here today.

A tourist from Sri Lanka, Naja Mohamed, 31, also shared her sentiment, saying using bus services made his holiday in Malaysia easier and more comfortable.

“We took the bus for our journey, and it was very comfortable. Initially, we were thinking of booking a private vehicle, but someone suggested the bus tour.

“It turned out to be really enjoyable and much more convenient than travelling by car,” he said, adding that this is his second visit to Malaysia and that he plans to spend five days visiting several of the country’s main tourist destinations.

TBS plays an important role as a key hub for tourist movement, with passenger flows comprising various segments, including family vacations, young travellers and locals returning to their hometowns, especially during school holidays and long weekends.

TBS chief executive officer Shazwan Mohammad said the terminal is seeing a significant increase in visitor numbers, in line with the positive response to the VM2026 campaign and the holiday season.

According to him, the increase reflects strong demand for land transport services and terminal facilities to support domestic and regional tourist movement.

“For this week alone, we are receiving about 30,000 to 40,000 visitors from across the states, whether for travel, returning to hometowns or school-related journeys,” he said.

Shazwan said TBS has implemented various facility improvements in line with current needs, including the use of fully automated systems to facilitate ticket purchases.

“We provide digital ticket purchasing, including through self-service kiosks and automated machines at all counters, allowing visitors to make purchases easily without the need for manual transactions,” he said.

He said TBS is ready to accommodate the increase in tourist numbers during VM2026, in line with the government’s efforts to drive domestic and international tourism.

According to him, the terminal will continue to enhance its facilities and service quality to ensure every visitor enjoys a comfortable and seamless travel experience.

Earlier, tourists arriving at TBS were welcomed with various activities held in conjunction with the VM2026 celebrations organised by Tourism Malaysia.

The VM2026 campaign officially kicked off today with the Visit Malaysia 2026 Countdown Festival at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, marking the start of efforts to drive the nation’s tourism sector towards the target of 43 million international visitors and to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a preferred global tourist destination.

— BERNAMA