TOURISM, EDUCATION FOCUS OF MALAYSIA’S EMBASSY IN UZBEKISTAN IN 2026

By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Embassy in Uzbekistan has identified the tourism and education sectors as key priorities for strengthening bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Central Asian country this year.

Malaysia’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Ilham Tuah Illias, said this focus aligns with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026) campaign and the direct Tashkent-Langkawi flights by Batik Air, which were launched in December 2025.

“I have been informed that by mid-February, the direct Batik Air flights from Tashkent to Langkawi are already fully booked. The flights have been warmly received because tourists from Uzbekistan are eager to enjoy Langkawi’s beaches, as their country has no coastline,” he told Bernama.

Ilham Tuah is currently in Malaysia after participating in the inaugural Tashkent-Langkawi flight on 14 December.

At present, three airlines operate direct flights from Tashkent to Kuala Lumpur: Uzbekistan Airways, Batik Air, and AirAsia X, with a combined frequency of eight flights per week.

The Malaysian Embassy in Uzbekistan, together with the Tourism Malaysia office in Almaty, actively promotes Malaysia’s tourism sector in the Uzbek market to increase the number of visitors from the region.

Regarding the education sector, Ilham Tuah said efforts will be made to promote various higher education institutions in Malaysia, particularly in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia, as preferred study destinations for Uzbek students.

He added that the direct Tashkent-Langkawi flights are expected to encourage the families of Uzbek students to visit them in Malaysia while travelling for leisure.

Ilham Tuah noted that as of March 2025, more than 600 Uzbek students were enrolled in public and private higher education institutions in Malaysia, and he aims to increase that number this year.

According to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Malaysia, the number has now grown to over 1,000 students.

Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia, in its statement in conjunction with Batik Air’s first Tashkent-Langkawi flight last month, said visitor arrivals from Uzbekistan to Malaysia have shown encouraging numbers, with 15,495 visitors recorded between January and October 2025. 

The introduction of this new weekly direct route is expected to further boost arrivals from this emerging market, bolstering international connectivity while unlocking fresh opportunities for trade, investment and cultural exchange, the statement read. 

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Kuala Lumpur, in response to a Bernama query, said that during the winter season, which runs from December to February, many Uzbek nationals prefer to travel to destinations such as Langkawi, which is famous for its sunny beaches.

“Batik Air’s direct flights allow people from Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan in Central Asia and even from Russia to travel through Tashkent to Langkawi.

“At the same time, many Malaysians, especially living in northern states of the Peninsular Malaysia, who would like to see snow and enjoy a day of skiing in the mountains in the winter season, can now visit Chimgan mountains, which is an hour drive from Tashkent,” it added.

According to the embassy, Uzbekistan and Malaysia have recorded an increase in tourist arrivals in recent years, with more than 11,000 Malaysian tourists visiting Uzbekistan in 2025, and the number is expected to rise this year.

-- BERNAMA