INTERACTIVE: Malaysia among fastest-growing in tourist arrivals

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is named among the fastest-growing tourist destinations worldwide, according to United Nation Tourism. 

In its World Tourism Barometer report, international tourist arrivals to Malaysia rose by 9% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year. 

This placed Malaysia alongside Indonesia (9%), and ahead of Hong Kong, Mexico and the Netherlands, which each saw 7% growth.

Japan and Vietnam led the growth chart with 21% each, followed by Morocco (+19%) and South Korea (+15%).

Nearly 690 million tourists travelled internationally in the first half of 2025, marking a 5% increase or 33 million more than in the same period last year. 

In terms of regional, South East Asia ranked sixth among global regions for international tourist arrivals in the first half of 2025, recording a 5.5% growth.

Northeast Asia led the global tourism rebound with a 20.1% jump in arrivals, followed with North Africa at 14.2% and South America at 13.9%.

According to the Malaysia Tourism Statistics portal, between January and April, the country welcomed 13.38 million visitors this year.

The figure is a 21% increase from the 11.07 million recorded in the same period last year. 

Singapore remained the largest source market with 6.53 million visitors from January to April, followed by Indonesia (1.47 million) and China (1.44 million).

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said the figures were encouraging, adding that the country was on track to hit its target of 43 million arrivals this year and 47 million in 2026.

“If our growth continues along the current trajectory, Malaysia should be able to achieve the targets. 

“This year alone, we could be looking at a 20% increase from 2024, which would provide a solid foundation for VM2026,” he said.

Wong noted that while traditional markets such as Singapore and Thailand remained important, efforts should also focus on attracting travellers from the other part of the globe, supported by expanding air connectivity. 

“Malaysia has the potential to capture more long-haul markets with the right campaigns, while also positioning itself as a Muslim-friendly destination to appeal to a wider segment of global travellers,” he said.

However, Your Inbound Matter founder Uzaidi Udanis cautioned that quantity alone should not be the benchmark for success. 

He said Malaysia must also look at the quality of visitors, particularly in terms of spending and length of stay.

“Tourists in Thailand spend on average more than RM7,000 per trip, while in Malaysia the figure is closer to RM4,000. 

“The challenge is to encourage visitors to stay longer, ideally a week instead of just four days, and to spend more during their visit,” he said.

Uzaidi added that sustainable tourism is equally crucial, pointing to concerns over overtourism in parts of Europe. 

“The key is to grow sustainably by learning from places now facing overtourism pressures. 

“Our focus should be on promoting experiences that benefit the local economy, preserve culture and protect the environment,” he said.

Both Wong and Uzaidi agreed that diversifying source markets and product offerings would be key for Malaysia to remain competitive. 

Wong highlighted the potential of transit passengers and intra-Asean travellers, while Uzaidi urged greater government support in developing new markets such as Iran, Russia and the Middle East, as well as improving coordination among tourism players.

“Malaysia has plenty of assets, from cultural heritage to unique local experiences such as food trails, cycling tours and community-based activities.

“If the industry works more closely with state governments and local councils, we can create value-added products that encourage longer stays,” Uzaidi said.