Malaysia pushes direct flights, visa facilitation to grow Russian market

Malaysia is seeking stronger air connectivity and easier visa arrangements with Russia as it looks to grow visitor arrivals from the market.

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing pursued potential direct flights and reciprocal visa-free travel during a sales mission to St Petersburg and Moscow from September 27 to October 1, which brought together 15 representatives from hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product operators and state tourism boards.

The mission included B2B meetings and engagements with Russian travel trade partners.

In a recent Facebook post, Tiong said he had discussed reciprocal visa-free travel with Russian deputy minister of economic development Dmitry Vakhrukov in Moscow.

Both sides identified visa facilitation as an important factor in increasing two-way tourism.

Air connectivity was also a focus of Tiong’s discussions with the Russian travel trade, including the potential for direct flights between Malaysia and Russia. Tiong said improved connectivity would make Malaysia more accessible to Russian travellers.

The discussions come as Malaysia looks to capture a larger share of the Russian outbound market.

Malaysia received 98,466 Russian tourists in the first eight months of 2026, up 4.3 per cent year-on-year from 94,420, according to Tourism Malaysia.

Tiong also identified potential in Russian regions beyond Moscow and St Petersburg. During the sales mission, he met representatives of the Ural Tourism Association and said the region accounted for about 15 per cent of Russia’s outbound travellers and had a sizeable high-income population.

He said closer cooperation between Malaysian and Russian travel agencies could help expand the market in the region.

Longer stays are another segment Malaysia is exploring. Tiong said Malaysia was considering three- to four-month winter tourism packages for Russian travellers.

The idea emerged from a meeting with Russian tour operator Fun & Sun Holidays, which told

Tiong that some financially secure Russian travellers spend the winter months in warmer countries, typically staying for three to four months.

Fun & Sun also highlighted the need for Russian- and Uzbek-speaking interpreters during peak travel periods.

Tiong said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s licensing and legal units would examine permit requirements for seasonal interpreters and, where necessary, engage the immigration and home affairs authorities.

He added that the government would assess the potential of the long-stay segment, including the number of prospective travellers, their typical length of stay and accommodation needs.