# Tourism Malaysia, MOTAC and Malaysia's Tourism Institutions

> A profile of the federal and state bodies that promote and regulate Malaysian tourism — the MOTAC ministry, the national board Tourism Malaysia, and the state tourism boards of Sarawak, Sabah, Penang and beyond.

- Category: tourism
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-28
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/tourism/tourism-malaysia-and-tourism-agencies

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When a "Malaysia Truly Asia" advert catches your eye, one statutory body paid for it — but a different ministry decides whether the tour operator behind your trip is even allowed to sell it. Malaysian tourism runs on a division of labour, and knowing who does what saves a lot of confusion.

## Who is in charge of tourism in Malaysia?

At the top sits the **Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC)**. It is the federal ministry that shapes policy and oversees not just tourism but also arts, culture and heritage. Its remit is broad: it administers licensing for the tourism trade, quality-assurance programmes, and programmes it lists such as homestay, agrotourism and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) — though MM2H's visa and residency approvals in practice now also involve the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration Department.

Crucially, MOTAC is the government agency that enforces the **Tourism Industry Act 1992 (Act 482)**. Under that Act it licenses travel agencies, tour operators, tourist guides and tourist accommodation premises — and it can issue compounds (fines) against those who operate without the required licence.

## What exactly does Tourism Malaysia do?

MOTAC sets direction; **Tourism Malaysia** does the selling. Formally the **Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB)**, it is a statutory body established under the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act 1992 (Act 481) — an Act that received royal assent on 30 January 1992 and came into force on 1 May 1992 — and it is the national agency for marketing the country as a destination.

Its job is promotion, not regulation. That means running the international "Malaysia Truly Asia" branding, coordinating marketing activity, encouraging domestic travel, and courting the business-events (MICE) market. A traveller never applies to Tourism Malaysia for anything — it exists to make people want to come in the first place.

Sitting under MOTAC as a physical shopfront is the **Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC)**, which hands out travel information, stages cultural performances and hosts tourism programmes for visitors.

## How do the federal and state bodies fit together?

Malaysia is a federation, and several states run their own tourism boards in parallel with the national effort. They market their own destinations, host familiarisation trips for media and travel agents, and work alongside Tourism Malaysia's overseas offices. Sarawak and Sabah, with their distinct autonomy and strong Borneo brands, are the most established examples.

| Body | Level | Role |
|---|---|---|
| MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) | Federal ministry | Policy, licensing and enforcement (Tourism Industry Act 1992); oversees arts, culture and heritage |
| Tourism Malaysia (Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board) | Federal statutory body | National and international destination marketing and promotion |
| Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) | MOTAC division | Visitor information centre and cultural-programme venue operated by MOTAC |
| Sarawak Tourism Board | State (Sarawak) | Marketing and promotion of Sarawak; incorporated 12 November 1994 |
| Sabah Tourism Board | State (Sabah) | Marketing and promotion of Sabah as a destination |
| Penang Global Tourism | State (Penang) | State tourism bureau promoting and marketing Penang |

## What is the Sarawak Tourism Board's mandate?

The **Sarawak Tourism Board (STB)** was incorporated under the Sarawak Tourism Board (Incorporation) Ordinance dated **12 November 1994**. Its role is to stimulate and market tourism to the state — organising publicity, coordinating with government bodies, and recommending measures to the Minister to grow the industry.

STB frames its promotion around a memorable formula it calls **CANFF** — Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals — with a stated ambition of positioning Sarawak as a leading ecotourism destination. It is a clear illustration of how a state board builds a brand distinct from, but complementary to, the national one.

Other states run comparable agencies: the **Sabah Tourism Board** markets Sabah, and **Penang Global Tourism** acts as Penang's state tourism bureau, coordinating campaigns and working with airlines and Tourism Malaysia offices worldwide.

## Which agencies sit under MOTAC?

Tourism is only part of MOTAC's portfolio. The ministry oversees a family of departments and agencies spanning culture, heritage and the arts, including:

- **Tourism Malaysia** — national tourism promotion
- **Department of National Heritage** — heritage-site protection
- **National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN)** — arts and cultural programmes
- **Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC)** — Islamic tourism products
- **Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)** — business events and conventions
- **Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan)** — traditional handicrafts
- **Istana Budaya** and **ASWARA** — the national performing-arts venue and arts academy

## What's next

If you are a traveller, none of these bodies is a place you queue at — but the licences MOTAC issues are your safeguard: book through a MOTAC-licensed travel agency and use a licensed guide. If you are an operator, the Tourism Industry Act 1992 (Act 482) is the law to read before trading. And if you are researching a specific state, start at that state's own board — the national campaign will draw you to Malaysia, but the state boards are where the destination detail lives.

## Sources

- Departments & Agencies — https://www.motac.gov.my/en/departments-agencies/ (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC))
- Welcome to Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture — https://www.motac.gov.my/en/ (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC))
- Tourism Industry Act 1992 [Act 482] — licensing notice — https://www.motac.gov.my/en/relaxation-of-compound-related-matters-for-licensed-tourism-businesses-and-licensed-tour-guides-by-the-ministry-of-tourism-arts-and-culture-malaysia-under-the-tourism-industry-act-1992-act-482-and/ (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC))
- Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) — https://www.motac.gov.my/en/bahagian-dan-unit/malaysia-tourism-centre-matic/ (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC))
- Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act 1992 (Act 481) — https://lom.agc.gov.my/act-detail.php?act=481 (Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia (Laws of Malaysia))
- Introduction to STB — https://stb.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/webpage_view/70 (Sarawak Tourism Board)

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