Malaysia’s edutourism sector is experiencing growing momentum, driven by increasing interest from ASEAN higher education institutions in combining tourism with experiential learning.

Langkawi Tourism Academy @ Kolej Komuniti Langkawi (LTA) recently hosted 15 students from Songkhla Rajabhat University, Thailand, under the ‘Let’s Go Langkawi Edutourism Geopark Odyssey’ programme — a clear signal of rising regional participation.

LTA Director Rohana Sahak highlighted the academy’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings in hotel and tourism management, which continue to attract ASEAN students. She stressed the importance of cultural and language exchange through community-based hospitality learning, supported by industry partners like Dreamz Travel Sdn Bhd.

The programme, under the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education’s Internationalisation Unit, aims to reinforce Malaysia’s position as a regional education hub and uplift the hospitality sector.

Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) CEO Novie Tajuddin added that Malaysia currently hosts around 137,000 international students. The International Student Arrival Centre (ISAC) at KLIA, the first of its kind globally, assists students pre-immigration around the clock.

In conjunction with the ASEAN Ministers of Education and Higher Education Roundtable 2025, Malaysia and Timor-Leste signed an MoU to boost collaboration in TVET, STEM, education technology, and academic training. The MoU was formalised by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his Timor-Leste counterpart, José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo.