In 1975, a group of travel and tour agents initiated an association to represent their interests. Today, MATTA boasts a membership of over 2,284 member organizations comprising local tour and travel organizations as well as numerous overseas affiliations. It is also the national umbrella representative body for the entire travel industry in the country. With a full time secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, its headquarters, MATTA has state chapters in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Selangor, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

MATTA's objective is to promote the interests of the travel and tour industry in Malaysia. MATTA works closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) as well as the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), help organise fairs, seminars, convention, promote sustainability tourism and workshops both to create public awareness of the tourism industry as well as to benefit its members.