PUTRAJAYA, March 10 — The conflict between the United States and Iran could potentially disrupt the global tourism industry, which is highly sensitive to international tensions, particularly when key aviation networks that support tourist mobility are affected.
Although Malaysia is far from the conflict zone, it is still feeling the impact due to a global mobility shock that has disrupted airspace in major aviation hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
The situation has led to longer flight routes and higher ticket prices, which in turn affect Southeast Asian markets, including Malaysia, which rely heavily on Gulf transit hubs for travel to Europe and Africa.
Professor of Tourism Economics at the Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Dr Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah said the scenario could potentially affect the movement of tourists into and out of Malaysia, thus testing the momentum of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, which targets 47 million international tourist arrivals and revenue of RM329 billion.
“When tourist confidence falls, long-haul travel is usually the first to be affected. If the conflict continues, a sharp rise in global oil prices would also push up aviation costs, adding further pressure on tourist arrivals to Malaysia,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Hafiz said the impact could, however, be minimised if Malaysia capitalises on the strength of the regional market supported by Singapore, Indonesia, China and Thailand, while further strengthening the country’s image as a stable and safe destination.
“In my view, the challenge ranges from moderate to high, but it remains manageable. Malaysia continues to be supported by a strong regional market. The most critical factor is air connectivity because if disruptions at Gulf hubs persist, it could affect the momentum of tourist arrivals,” he said.
He added that the country’s tourism strategy should also be adjusted by focusing on efforts to build traveller confidence, including emphasising safety, booking flexibility and ease of travel access.
“Other measures include strengthening cooperation with airlines to increase seat capacity and expanding codeshare collaborations through alternative transit hubs in Asia,” he said.
At the same time, Mohd Hafiz said industry players such as hotels and travel agencies are also encouraged to offer more flexible booking policies to boost travellers’ confidence in planning trips to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FHAS) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Prof Dr Azlizam Aziz said the conflict could still influence international tourists’ perception of global travel stability, although its impact may not be felt directly by destinations in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
He said international visitors typically make travel decisions based on their overall perception of global stability rather than the actual geographical location of a destination.
“In many cases, foreign tourists who are less familiar with the geography of a region may be more influenced by perceptions of safety than the actual reality. However, this may not be similar to the first and second Gulf wars, as information now flows very quickly and tourists can obtain real-time information,” he said.
He added that despite the challenges facing the tourism industry, the situation could also present opportunities, as Malaysia remains a peaceful, modern and visitor-friendly destination, supported by well-developed tourism facilities and a society welcoming to international travellers.
“The issue of flight access from certain markets, such as Europe, may be affected if travel requires transit at aviation hubs impacted by the conflict. If it does not involve transit through hubs such as Doha, then the impact may not be significant,” he said.
He said airlines are now taking a more flexible and creative approach to flight planning, steering clear of conflict zones to keep international travel on track. — Bernama
Malay Mail – Malaysia
