Malaysia records 16.9m tourist arrivals in first five months of 2025, a 20.4pc increase from last year

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Malaysia recorded an increase of 20.4 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals from January to May this year, with a total of 16.94 million visitors compared to 14.07 million during the same period in 2024.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the top five markets were led by Singapore, which remained the largest contributor with 8.34 million visitors, a 26.5 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

“Indonesia ranked second with 1.82 million visitors (up 10.3 per cent), followed by China with 1.81 million visitors, recording the highest growth rate of 38.8 per cent. Thailand saw 1.06 million arrivals (up 5.2 per cent), while India recorded 664,811 visitors, reflecting a strong recovery with a 32.0 per cent increase,” it said in a parliamentary written reply.

The ministry added that arrivals from long-haul markets also showed strong performance, with Australia and the United Kingdom recording increases of 16.6 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively, amounting to 198,968 and 185,197 foreign visitors.

“The increase in foreign tourist arrivals clearly reflects the effectiveness of various initiatives undertaken by the government through strategic approaches, progressive policies such as the Visa Liberalisation Plan (VLP), provision of support and incentives to industry players, and the implementation of high-impact promotional campaigns, including digital promotions and strategic collaborations with online platforms and airlines,” the ministry said.

The ministry was responding to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim, who asked for the breakdown of foreign tourist arrivals, by country, to Malaysia from January to June 2025 compared with the breakdown during the same period in 2024 and the projected breakdown of foreign tourist arrivals for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

The ministry said it is targeting 47 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2026, with a particular focus on key markets showing high growth potential.  “These target markets include Central Asia, the Middle East, Asean, Europe, and Oceania,” it added.

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