Malaysia recorded an over 20% jump in tourist arrivals for the January to May 2025 period, driven by government strategies such as the Visa Liberalisation Plan, targeted industry incentives, and digital and airline-based promotional campaigns.
International tourist arrivals during the five months reached 16.94 million, compared to 14.07 million in the same period last year, according to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing in a written parliamentary reply.
Singapore remained the top contributor to Malaysia’s international tourist arrivals, with 8.34 million visitors — up 26.5% year-on-year (y-o-y).
This was followed by Indonesia's 1.82 million visitors, up 10.3% y-o-y; China's 1.81 million visitors, up 38.8% y-o-y — marking the highest growth rate among key markets; Thailand's 1.06 million visitors (increased 5.2%); and India's 664,811 visitors (increased 32.0%).
Long-haul tourists also accounted for higher tourist arrivals, coming from Australia's 198,968 visitors (increased 16.6%) and the UK's 185,197 visitors (increased 8.7%).
“This coordinated effort has not only strengthened Malaysia’s positioning as a premier tourism destination in the region, but also laid a solid foundation for the upcoming VM2026 (Visit Malaysia 2026) campaign,” Tiong added.
Tiong was responding to a question from Teresa Kok Suh Sim (PH-Seputeh), who had requested a breakdown of tourist arrivals by country for January to June 2025, and the ministry’s projections by country for the upcoming VM2026 campaign.
The ministry is targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals in 2026, slightly above the 45 million target previously cited by Tourism Malaysia director general Datuk Dr Manoharan Periasamy in media reports three months ago.
The focus will be on high-potential growth markets, particularly in Central Asia, the Middle East, Asean, Europe, and Oceania, Tiong added.
Source: theedgemalaysia