Global Tourism Must Deliver Real Change, Not Just Rhetoric
MELAKA (Malaysia), Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia on Saturday called on the global tourism community to go beyond symbolic gestures and ensure that talks on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion translate into real, tangible actions.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said that the 2025 World Tourism Day (WTD) and the 7th World Tourism Conference (WTC) in Melaka should not just be ‘feel-good meetings,’ but rather serve as turning points for meaningful change.
“As we gather in Melaka, let us view this not merely as a ceremonial occasion, but as a shared opportunity - to shift from dialogue to delivery, from intention to implementation, and from words to actions,” he said in his welcome address at the opening ceremony of WTD 2025 and the 7th WTC, held here Saturday.
Tiong expressed his appreciation to United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism) secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili and the organising committee for entrusting Malaysia with the honour of hosting WTD and WTC 2025.
He also extended his gratitude to Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh, the state government, and the people of the historic city for their warm hospitality and unwavering support.
He said Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a historic trading port, was the ideal setting for this year’s theme, ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation’, as it demonstrates how heritage can be preserved while supporting a modern economy.
Tiong added that tourism remains one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest-growing sectors, true progress should not be gauged by growth alone. Instead, it should be measured by tourism’s capacity to uplift communities, preserve cultural heritage, protect ecosystems, and enhance resilience in the face of future challenges.
“Globally, the industry rebounded fully in 2024 and continued to grow by five per cent in the first half of 2025. This resilience is echoed in Malaysia’s own recovery - last year we welcomed 38 million international visitors, and in the first half of 2025 alone, we recorded 20.6 million arrivals, marking a 17.9 percent increase over the same period in 2024,” he said.
However, Tiong cautioned that the global industry still faces ‘hard truths,’ including over-tourism at fragile destinations, limited benefits to local communities, and the urgent need to strengthen competitiveness.
“In Malaysia, uneven investment and congestion in heritage cities have contributed to our drop in the Travel & Tourism Development Index, from 27th in 2019 to 35th in 2024, driven by weak infrastructure and service readiness,” he noted.
He said Malaysia is already advancing local solutions in line with the sustainability agenda. These include the Miso Walai Homestay in Sabah, which protects rainforest ecosystems while supporting more than 350 families; The Habitat in Penang, which reinvests tourism income into conservation and training; the Penang Heritage Trust, which safeguards living heritage; and the upcoming UN-recognised Sustainable Tourism Observatory in Mersing.
To strengthen structural support, Tiong said the ministry, together with the Department of Statistics Malaysia, is piloting UN Tourism’s Measuring Sustainability in Tourism (MST) indicators, with plans to integrate them into the Tourism Satellite Account.
He added that businesses are also being encouraged to adopt international standards such as GSTC, ESG, B-Corp and INSTO, while noting that five Malaysian hotels were recently honoured with the ASEAN Green Hotel Awards.
-- BERNAMA
