In 2024, the largest number of tourist arrivals in Malaysia was from Singapore, with around *** million tourists. This was followed by another ASEAN country, Indonesia, with around **** million tourists coming to Malaysia. Intra-ASEAN travels are exempted from visa requirements among the member states.

In 2024, there were approximately ** million tourist arrivals in Malaysia, an increase of around **** million tourists compared to the previous year. The country finally reopened its border in April 2022, after two years of travel restrictions which severely impacted the number of tourists coming to the country. The importance of tourism industry Tourism is an important economic sector in Malaysia, contributing around *** billion Malaysian ringgit to its GDP in 2019, before the pandemic hit. This sector also provided employment to about *** million Malaysian residents and earned Malaysia around ** billion Malaysian ringgit in tourism receipts in 2023. Tourism industry in recovery The COVID-19 pandemic had adversely affected the global tourism industry. As part of their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, countries around the world introduced restrictions on inbound as well as outbound travel. Malaysia had been especially hard hit, as it imposed travel restrictions for inbound visitors from China, its second-largest inbound tourism market, as early as the end of January. Now the borders have been reopened, the country can expect a surge of Chinese tourists to help the industry recover to its pre-pandemic state.

Malaysia International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data was reported at 26,757,000.000 Person in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 25,721,000.000 Person for 2015. Malaysia International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data is updated yearly, averaging 16,989,000.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27,437,000.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 5,551,000.000 Person in 1998. Malaysia International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.; ; World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.; Gap-filled total;

Tourist Arrivals in Malaysia increased to 2131096 in May from 1990120 in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Malaysia Tourist Arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Europe: Northern: United Kingdom data was reported at 27,031.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37,019.000 Person for Aug 2018. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Europe: Northern: United Kingdom data is updated monthly, averaging 24,445.000 Person from Jan 1995 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 285 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49,421.000 Person in Aug 2010 and a record low of 4,145.000 Person in Feb 1998. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Europe: Northern: United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tourism Malaysia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.Q001: Tourist Arrivals.

In 2023, inbound tourism expenditure of visitors that came to Malaysia reached around **** billion Malaysian ringgit, a significant increase compared to **** billion Malaysian ringgit in the previous year. Although tourism is one of the most important sectors in the country, inbound tourism expenditure experienced a decrease in 2020 and 2021 due to the travel restrictions during COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data from the UNWTO, in 2021, the number of international visitors to Malaysia from Europe amounted to approximately *************. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which restricted international travel, inbound travel to Malaysia was significantly lower compared to previous years.

Key information about Malaysia Visitor Arrivals

• Malaysia Visitor Arrivals recorded 2,552,087 person in Dec 2024, compared with 1,856,312 person in the previous month
• Malaysia Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1989 to Dec 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,806,565 person in Dec 2013 and a record low of 5,411 person in May 2020

Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Holiday: France data was reported at 88.800 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 75.400 % for 2014. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Holiday: France data is updated yearly, averaging 83.600 % from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2015, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 88.800 % in 2015 and a record low of 62.300 % in 2001. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Holiday: France data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tourism Malaysia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.Q006: Tourist Arrivals By Purpose of Visit.

In 2023, about **** million people traveled to Malaysia for medical and healthcare purposes. Medical tourism has increased in Malaysia since 2014, but the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021 caused a significant decrease in the number of medical tourists. The emerging leader of healthcare Malaysia is among other countries in the Asia-Pacific region such as Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea that have promoted the medical tourism industry. In 2005, the Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia established the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to promote healthcare travel. To support its ambition to be a medical tourism hub, Malaysia focused on developing its medical sector, by increasing the number of registered doctors and encouraging industrial collaboration between its private and public sectors, among others. The MHTC was created as a separate public sector entity in 2011, which gave it greater freedom to regulate the market. Since then, there had been significant growth in the medical tourism revenue. The Malaysian Health Travel brand The industry development and promotions, both domestic and abroad, have increased their international patient base and enticed foreign investment. The collaboration of the MHTC with Air Asia Indonesia is one such initiative that aimed at promoting metropolitan cities like Penang as the medical tourism center of the nation. The National Health Institute established the International Patient Center (IPC) to assist traveling patients with immigration services, visa, and health insurance transfers to make Malaysia the preferred destination for healthcare. Through this, Malaysia could see a steady development in the industry, which was reflected in the increasing value of the tourist expenditure for medical purposes, among others.

According to a survey conducted in the departure lobbies of Japanese airports and seaports throughout 2024, **** percent of Malaysian tourists coming to Japan ate Japanese food during their trip, making it the most common activity among visitors from Malaysia. Japanese cuisine was followed in popularity by shopping-related activities.

Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Oceania data was reported at 33,532.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 29,714.000 Person for Aug 2018. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Oceania data is updated monthly, averaging 30,343.000 Person from Jan 1997 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 261 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 77,929.000 Person in Jan 2014 and a record low of 3,668.000 Person in Apr 1997. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Oceania data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tourism Malaysia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.Q001: Tourist Arrivals.

Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Africa: Southern: South Africa data was reported at 1,690.000 Person in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,747.000 Person for Aug 2018. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Africa: Southern: South Africa data is updated monthly, averaging 1,544.000 Person from Jan 1997 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 261 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,270.000 Person in Dec 2011 and a record low of 166.000 Person in Feb 1998. Malaysia Tourist Arrival: Africa: Southern: South Africa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tourism Malaysia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.Q001: Tourist Arrivals.

Tourism is one of the most important sectors in a tropical country that offers a rich landscape and cultural heritage like Malaysia. In 2023, the tourism sector directly contributed more than ** billion Malaysian ringgit to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Despite the severe impact of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, which resulted in major loss to the GDP, the tourism sector in Malaysia has shown great improvement in the past year. Increase in inbound tourism Although the number of international tourists who came to Malaysia significantly decreased when the pandemic hit, 2023 showed that the industry has almost fully recovered. In that year, Malaysia welcomed more than ** million visitors, a number that was only slightly below the number of tourists in 2019. The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture forecasted that the number of inbound tourists could surpass ** million people in 2024. Visit Malaysia 2026 With a promising outlook in the tourism sector, the Malaysian government announced the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign to further boost the industry. Through branding and promotion on various media channels, including social media platforms, the campaign aimed to attract 35.6 million tourists and generate more than *** billion Malaysian ringgit in tourism receipts in 2026. This is nearly twice the amount of the inbound tourism expenditure in Malaysia in 2023.

The revenue generated from medical tourism in Malaysia reached an estimate of 1.7 billion Malaysian ringgit as of 2023. This was a significant increase of nearly threefold compared to the revenue in 2021. The medical tourism industry in Malaysia suffered during the two-year travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a vast decrease in revenue. Leading medical destination in Southeast Asia Malaysia is well known as a leading medical destination in Southeast Asia. In 2023, there were more than one million people who traveled to Malaysia for medical purposes. According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), 60 percent of medical tourists come from the neighboring country, Indonesia. Penang is a popular medical destination city, especially for Indonesians, due to its proximity to Sumatra, one of the largest islands in Indonesia. In 2022, the Peninsular state generated more than 285 million Malaysian ringgit in revenue from medical tourism. Quality private medical care Medical travelers would usually go to private hospitals for their medical treatments. The Malaysian private healthcare system is well-developed and works to complement the public healthcare system. Many renowned Malaysian private hospitals that are popular among international visitors offer world-class medical care with the latest technology. In 2022, there were 207 private hospitals in Malaysia, representing a larger number compared to public hospitals.

In 2024, the total value from tourism receipts in Malaysia was approximately ****** billion Malaysian ringgit, a sharp increase from around ***** billion Malaysian ringgit in the previous year. The value of tourism receipts in the country decreased significantly in 2020 and 2021 because of the disruptions to the global tourism industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a survey conducted in the departure lobbies of Japanese airports and seaports throughout 2024, for **** percent of tourists from Malaysia, eating Japanese food was one of the motivations to come to Japan. Japanese cuisine was followed in popularity by shopping, as well as nature and scenery sightseeing.

In 2024, there were approximately ** million domestic tourists who visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was an increase from around ** million domestic visitors in the previous year. Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's capital city, and one of the leading tourist destinations.

According to data from the UNWTO, in 2021, the number of international visitors to Malaysia from South Asia amounted to approximately *************. The amount of visitors has dropped significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions that come with it.

Malaysia Domestic Tourism: Number of Visitors: Pulau Pinang data was reported at 13,127.587 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,002.735 Person th for 2022. Malaysia Domestic Tourism: Number of Visitors: Pulau Pinang data is updated yearly, averaging 9,135.000 Person th from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2023, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15,411.000 Person th in 2019 and a record low of 4,178.000 Person th in 2008. Malaysia Domestic Tourism: Number of Visitors: Pulau Pinang data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malaysia – Table MY.Q008: Domestic Tourism (Annual).