Holidaymakers mark your calendars: The MATTA Fair is returning from the 18th to the 20th of April 2025. Held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), the upcoming 56th edition international travel fair promises unbeatable holiday deals and business and career opportunities.
Are you planning a solo trip for the first time or hope to take your partner on a romantic escapade? Or perhaps it’s time to make that long-awaited family trip happen – either way, you’re bound to find your dream vacation at the MATTA Fair.
But first, what is MATTA Fair?
MATTA Fair is the largest travel fair organized by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents. Held annually, the fair offers visitors some of the best travel deals ranging from flight tickets to resort packages and more. MATTA Fair attracts thousands of visitors each year, where approximately 500 booths are set across multiple floors and halls at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), ready to welcome everyone from the 18th to the 20th of April 2025.
Furthermore, this is the perfect time to ask any questions you may have always wanted to know – be it about a travel destination or getting a clearer view of exclusive holiday discounts you may have seen online.
However, we understand how visiting the fair can quickly become overwhelming especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for. What’s more, how can you be sure you’re getting the best deal from visiting the fair over the weekend when there’s just so much to take in?
Well, here are 8 helpful tips and tricks to remember when visiting MATTA fair from our experienced holiday advisors!
Tip 1: Plan out your holiday before planning a holiday!
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
With nearly 500 booths available at the MATTA Fair this year, it can get confusing and tiring to find the best holiday deal. To help make your visit easier, it’s always best to first decide on the kind of vacation you’re looking for. Pre-planning your visit to MATTA Fair means you can stay focused on grabbing the right deal for yourself.
Little details such as deciding on the season you’d like to visit, the continent, and whether you’d like to go on a budget or splurge in luxury are all helpful when visiting the MATTA Fair. All-inclusive resort packages and cruises are also great considerations if you’re looking for a hassle-free break.
Furthermore, this is the best opportunity to ask burning questions about a holiday spot if you have any. From drawing up the itinerary to truly discovering your travel style, planning out your ideal holiday before heading out to the MATTA Fair will save you time and cause you less confusion along the way.
Still undecided on the type of vacation you’re looking for? Fret not and come speak to a holiday advisor from Holiday Tours. Located at booth 3E13 on Level 3, Holiday Tours is a leading leisure and business travel agency in Malaysia. Offering personalised experiences for travellers seeking unique holidays, our team will be happy to help pick out the perfect vacation spot tailored to all your needs.
Tip 2: Ask about Muslim-friendly vacations
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To our dear Muslim travellers, here is a tip for you when visiting MATTA Fair: Be sure to ask about Muslim-friendly vacations! That’s right, gone are the days when travel agencies only offer Umrah packages to you, because there’s so much more you can experience with our Muslim-friendly arrangements.
From cruises that specialize in Halal meals to resorts where you can make holiday memories comfortably, these Muslim-friendly vacation packages are great whether you’re travelling alone, as a couple, or as a family. Booths selling modest vacation attire such as sports hijab and burkinis will also be available at MATTA Fair, making it a one-stop visit for all your vacation needs.
Of course, exclusive Hajj and Umrah packages are still available at the fair for Muslim travellers hoping to undertake their journey of faith in 2025. With great deals being offered by multiple travel agencies, we highly recommend keeping an eye out for these packages if you’re manifesting a pilgrimage this year. Finally, you don’t have to worry about missing any of your daily prayers while you’re exploring vacation options – surau facilities are available on every floor at MITEC.
Tip 3: BRING WATER AND SNACKS TO Stay hydrated and fuelled for the day
Photo by Shawn Rain on Unsplash
If it’s your first time visiting MATTA Fair, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated throughout the day. As such, a good tip to remember is to bring your own bottled water as they may not sell any in the halls – resulting in you having to leave the venue in case you get thirsty. And while this may not sound like much, it can get frustrating when you’re navigating through crowds.
This trick also applies to keeping snacks on hand in case you get peckish while “shopping” for your next vacation. In case you’re feeling particularly hungry, MATTA Fair also hosts various food stalls offering a variety of local bites to suit every tastebud. From Halal dishes to homemade kuihs and more, this can be a great option if you don’t want to stray too far from MITEC and wish to re-enter the fair.
Tip 4: Dress comfortably for a day of walking
Before heading to MATTA Fair, it’s good to manage the expectation of how much you’ll be on your feet for the whole day. That said, it’s going to involve a lot of walking through 3 floors and strolling through over 500 booths. Think of it as training for your travels where you walk to enjoy the best sights, but the trick to visiting MATTA Fair is to dress comfortably.
For the ladies, swapping out your high heels for better-cushioned sneakers or flats will have your feet thanking you at the end of the day. We also recommend keeping a close eye on your bags to deter unwanted pickpockets and leave any important or expensive belongings at home.
As most travel agencies only require a downpayment to secure your holiday plans, you shouldn’t have to bring too much cash to the fair. This allows you to explore with ease of mind without having to worry about someone dipping into your funds unknowingly. Or better yet, you could also pay with your cards at MATTA Fair.
Visitors who are often cold should definitely bring a light sweater along as MITEC is fully air-conditioned throughout all halls. However, it could get quite crowded in some of the halls, so a little mix and match with your outfit will definitely help balance out the changing temperatures while you’re checking out the best holiday deals of the weekend.
Tip 5: Keep your little ones close and reachable
Although it may seem like a fun family day out, bringing your little ones to MATTA Fair isn’t recommended. After all, this is the weekend where you’re expecting to walk for hours on end to seek out the best holiday plans and potentially for the entire family too. Children may not find this as entertaining and the last thing you’d want to experience is your little one feeling upset or tired when you’re not quite done.
However, we also understand that it may be difficult for some parents to find alternatives for weekend childcare. In case you have to include your little ones, our favourite trick when visiting MATTA Fair is to keep them as close to you as possible. Navigating through the crowds can be challenging, so it’s always best to remind them to not stray too far away or go places alone.
Separately, you could also have them wear a bracelet with your contact number. This makes you easy to reach in case the most unthinkable happens. For parents with children who don’t like wearing accessories, consider writing your details on their little hands with skin-safe and non-toxic markers.
Before entering the fair, familiarize your children with where the information counter may be if they lose track of you or vice versa. By teaching them where to go, it could be easier to be reunited. The information counter also has an intercom service available should you need help from members of the public to keep an eye out for your little one.
Tip 6: Don’t miss out on the cultural performances
Aside from unbeatable travel deals and inspiring holiday plans, MATTA Fair also hosts a variety of free cultural performances to enjoy. This is especially fun to watch when you take a break to digest any information you’ve collected while exploring the fair or simply want to give your legs a break.
And while you’re enjoying some of the shows, don’t forget to keep your ears and eyes peeled for some of MATTA Fair’s exclusive giveaways. From round-trip holidays to exclusive must-have goodies, this is the perfect time for you to grab yourselves a surprise freebie along with your visit.
Many booths may also run special performances on their own time to attract visitors across the days, so it’s good to check beforehand if you have a show you’d like to watch. A notable performance from the past years included the Ngajat Dance from the Sarawak Tourism Booth – a true spectacle you shouldn’t miss!
Tip 7: Skip the traffic with MATTA Fair’s free shuttle services
Having to be stuck in traffic when going to MITEC during the fair season can be rather annoying, especially when you think about the great deals you might be missing out on. So, a trick to remember when visiting MATTA Fair is to leave your car behind and hop on the free shuttle service instead.
With pick-ups from Sunway Putra Mall and KL Sentral, you’re free to decide the spot that fits you best. For example, parking at Sunway Putra Mall also means you could pop into the mall for some weekend shopping after visiting MATTA fair – a convenient choice especially if you’d like to do some groceries or grab a bite to eat before and after looking for holiday deals.
Opting for the pick up from KL Sentral, however, means you can even make full use of the MRT to get around. This is ideal for visitors who don’t live near the city centre, saving you petrol, toll, and parking costs.
The free shuttle service runs at a frequency of 5 to 10 minutes depending on daily traffic and is available from 8AM to 10PM on all three days of MATTA Fair. Pick-ups are held at the ERL KLIA Departure Hall at KL Sentral and the bus stop at the main entrance of Sunway Putra Mall.
Tip 8: Ask every question imaginable
The great thing about vacation shopping at MATTA Fair is how you can discuss all your holiday wants and needs with our holiday advisors in person. This is a great tip to remember when visiting MATTA Fair, as it can help reduce any qualms you may have when booking travel packages.
Scouting around booths to compare between packages is also a great trick to employ when you’re at the fair, so be sure to bring along a notebook or tablet to draw up comparisons before settling on your travel plans. Writing down the name of the travel agency as well as the hall and booth numbers is also helpful, so you can make your way back to the right spot once you’ve found the right package for you.
Separately, it’s also worth noting that certain travel agencies will have a special set of booking terms and conditions that apply during MATTA Fair. If you’re in doubt, it’s best to ask the travel agents every question imaginable to avoid unwanted surprises when it’s time to travel. Furthermore, some travel agencies may even offer pre-MATTA Fair deals so you may not even have to wait till then to score a holiday of your dreams.
With that said, we can’t wait to plan the vacation of your dreams with you at the MATTA Fair at MITEC from the 18th to the 20th of April 2025. The Holiday Tours and Travel booth will be located at booth 3E13 on Level 3 – see you there!