The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance (KLCCBEA) and URBANICE Malaysia have formalised their collaboration to advance Kuala Lumpur as a sustainable tourism destination through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF) 2025, recently held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Tourism is one of the world’s most dynamic economic sectors and business tourism covering meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions delivers high-value economic impact. By attracting international delegates, facilitating knowledge exchange, and stimulating local industries, business tourism generates significant revenue while creating long-term socio-economic benefits. Kuala Lumpur’s ability to integrate sustainability principles into this sector is crucial to ensuring its growth benefits communities, protects cultural heritage, and supports environmental stewardship.
By aligning expertise, KLCCBEA’s leadership in destination marketing and URBANICE’s sustainable urban development strategies, the partnership aims to create replicable models for tourism-led growth that benefit communities, protect cultural heritage, and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The two partners also co-organised the inaugural Stakeholders Business Assembly held in conjunction with ASUF 2025. Themed “Mobilising Partnerships to Drive Inclusive Economic Growth through Tourism”, the Assembly brought together more than 70 stakeholders from ASEAN local authorities, tourism bodies, industry leaders, and cultural practitioners. The one-day forum explored practical models for public-private-people (3P) partnerships that can be replicated across the region to generate measurable economic and social benefits.
TPr. Ts. Norliza Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of URBANICE Malaysia, said “This collaboration with KLCCBEA strengthens our mission to build resilient, inclusive cities where tourism plays a vital role in economic and social development. The Business Assembly has shown that partnerships are most impactful when they are grounded in mutual benefit, inclusivity, and sustainability.”
The Assembly concluded that building successful partnerships for sustainable tourism hinges on five critical success factors which are ensuring mutual benefits for all parties; recognising that small initiatives can create a big impact; prioritising the use of local products and resources to maintain sustainability; fostering continuous idea-sharing to create value through exchange; and engaging various champions to drive momentum.
From the discussions, two champions for sustainable tourism emerged: the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), recognised for promoting tourism in Malaysia’s rural northern regions; and KLCCBEA, which leads the coordination of initiatives like the Sustainable September and other events within the KLCC precinct to elevate Kuala Lumpur’s cultural and tourism appeal.
John Burke, Chair of KLCCBEA and General Manager of the Centre, said “The MoU with URBANICE Malaysia marks a milestone in our efforts to position Kuala Lumpur as a hub for sustainable tourism in ASEAN. Initiatives like Sustainable September demonstrate how a unified vision can create lasting impact, and through platforms like the Business Assembly, we can scale these successes regionally.”
Sustainable September, hallmark of KLCCBEA’s sustainability journey is now in its third edition. This initiative, conceived under the strategic guidance of URBANICE Malaysia, was designed to unite all KLCC precinct partners under a single, shared sustainability vision. Over the years, Sustainable September has grown steadily, with more partners joining to champion green practices, support local communities, and promote environmental awareness. Through a month-long programme of events, activations, and educational campaigns, it has become a flagship example of how aligned partnership goals can drive collective impact and position the KLCC precinct as a model for sustainable urban tourism.
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