Malaysia sees rise in international tourist arrivals
The growth was driven by strong demand from key source markets, including ASEAN member states, China, Japan, Australia, China's Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Malaysia welcomed 17.5 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, up 3.4% year-on-year.
Tourism Malaysia Director-General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim said on July 8 that the growth was driven by strong demand from key source markets, including ASEAN member states, China, Japan, Australia, China's Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
He noted that Malaysia's tourism sector could have achieved even stronger growth had it not been affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
To sustain momentum, Tourism Malaysia has adjusted its marketing strategy to focus on regional and high-potential markets while continuing to work with airlines to launch more international routes to the country.
Domestically, the agency is upgrading tourism products and refreshing travel packages to keep them attractive and encourage more Malaysians to travel within the country, the official noted.
The remarks were made following the signing of a two-year memorandum of collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and Tripadvisor to strengthen strategic collaboration under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign./.