{
  "id": 15832599,
  "title": "#SHOWBIZ: ASIA 2026 powers Malaysian tourism growth",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/showbiz-asia-2026-powers-malaysian-tourism-growth",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T01:16:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/groove/2026/10/1560264/showbiz-asia-2026-powers-malaysian-tourism-growth"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The All Star Influencers Award (ASIA) 2026, a global tourism campaign, has brought together over 100 content creators from 20 countries to boost Malaysia's culture, heritage, food, and local experiences. With each creator boasting hundreds of millions of followers, the initiative aims to significantly expand Malaysia's reach on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. ASIA 2026 has evolved from an annual awards ceremony to a major global platform connecting the digital world with tourism, according to the ASIA CEO, Datuk Abd Rahman Soltan. The campaign, supported by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and Tourism Malaysia, saw influencers visit iconic landmarks, heritage sites, and lesser-known gems across 10 states, sharing authentic personal stories and participating in community projects. Beyond promoting tourism, ASIA also offers creators a chance to build long-term business careers through its Influencer Partnership Programme (IPP). The campaign's digital impact is impressive, with over 205 million views in 2023 and 1.6 billion views in 2025, totaling more than 3.8 billion views over four years. The final event in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, saw Indonesian creator Dinda Anwar win the Best Asia All Star 2026 title and US$10,000, while Zulqarnain from Pakistan and Duc Koi from Vietnam took second and third place, respectively.",
  "summary": "IN today’s fast-paced digital landscape, a short video can inspire millions to pack their bags.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf Times",
        "title": "Malaysian think-tank chief calls for dialogue amid West Asia tensions",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/malaysian-think-tank-chief-calls-for-dialogue-amid-west-asia-tensions",
        "published": "2026-10-20T21:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express - India",
        "title": "Jaishankar, Al Nahyan discuss West Asia crisis, peace initiatives, ways to enhance ties",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/jaishankar-al-nahyan-discuss-west-asia-crisis-peace-initiatives-ways",
        "published": "2026-10-21T00:25:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}