He advocates for stronger service standards, wellness offerings, and responsible adoption of technology to help Malaysia stand out in the tourism market.
Malaysia’s hospitality sector has plenty of room to grow. However, in order to unlock its next phase of potential, attracting visitors will not be enough.
Traveller expectations evolve, and regional competition intensifies; hence, hotels and tourism businesses will need to sharpen their offerings and provide experiences that give visitors a stronger reason to choose Malaysia.
Sen Soon Mun, Director at Horwath HTL Kuala Lumpur, sees opportunities particularly in wellness, forest-based tourism, and technology-enabled hospitality. His experience includes advising on hotel developments and investments, bringing a commercial perspective to the changes taking place in Malaysia’s tourism landscape.
At Horwath HTL, Soon Mun’s specialisation focuses on market insights and financial feasibility studies, helping investors and developers assess the viability of hospitality projects. His experience also covers operator searches and Hotel Management Agreement (HMA) negotiations.
Soon Mun is also equipped with financial expertise, as he is a member of the Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA).
As he returns as a judge for the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Malaysia, Soon Mun shared his views on the opportunities that could strengthen the country's hospitality proposition, the importance of improving service standards, and how technology can reshape hotel operations.
How have changing traveller expectations affected the way hotel and hospitality projects are developed in Malaysia?
Personalisation and tech are becoming more important. Guests increasingly expect personalisation, seamless technology integration, and strong environmental responsibility rather than just traditional comfort.
What areas of Malaysia’s hospitality sector do you think are still underdeveloped or have significant room for growth?
Wellness. Thailand and Indonesia, Malaysia’s immediate neighbours, are well known for their spas and wellness offerings, whilst Malaysia still lags far behind. Even Singapore has plans to drive wellness, with a large-scale social wellbeing infrastructure planned on a 4-hectare site next to Gardens by the Bay and Marina Barrage. Slated to open in 2030, it will feature more than 20 pools and water features, as well as over 70 wellness treatment rooms.
Which emerging opportunities in Malaysia’s tourism and hospitality market do you think businesses should be preparing for now?
In addition to wellness, Malaysia should capitalise on forest resorts that combine nature with wellness. Malaysia is known for its rainforests, and the success of The Datai in Langkawi has proven that this development opportunity should be further explored.
Malaysia is competing with several established tourism destinations in the region. What can its hospitality industry do to stand out?
Generally, the service level in Malaysia is not at a level that is acceptable. Malaysia is a hospitable country and is known for it. Elevating service quality to a level comparable to Thailand and Indonesia would place Malaysia in a better stead in a region that is becoming highly competitive. In addition, hotel owners should instil greater pride in their products through a higher level of maintenance.
How do you see AI and data changing hotel investment, planning, and operations over the next five years?
AI is unstoppable. Hotels will have to adopt and embrace AI in their operations. Hotel management companies will be charging mandatory technology fees, as some already do. However, it must be remembered that AI does not replace humans, and the human factor still needs to be present in service delivery. Budget and midscale hotels are likely to have higher adoption of AI than luxury hotels.
As a judge for the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026, what kinds of initiatives do you hope to see amongst this year’s award entries?
I would be hoping to see sustainability initiatives and a stronger focus on wellness amongst this year’s award entries.
