Malaysia tourism off to strong start

Malaysia recorded a strong start to Visit Malaysia Year 2026, welcoming 10.64 million international visitors in the first quarter of the year, a 5.4 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025. The achievement marks the second consecutive year the country has surpassed the 10 million-arrival mark in the first quarter.

Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing said the growth reflected Malaysia’s continued appeal as a regional tourism hub despite ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

“The performance of visitor arrivals for the first quarter of 2026 can still be considered good,” Tiong said, noting that rising airfares and disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict had affected several tourism markets.

According to ministry statistics, February recorded a historic milestone with 3.47 million international arrivals, the highest monthly figure recorded by Malaysia. The surge was largely driven by increased travel during the Chinese New Year festive season.

Singapore remained Malaysia’s largest source market with more than 5.14 million arrivals, while China emerged as a key growth driver with 1.41 million visitors, up 25.2 per cent year-on-year. Thailand, Brunei, Australia and the United Kingdom also posted growth, with Australia recording an increase of 11.4 per cent.

Tiong noted that South-east Asian and East Asian markets continued to underpin Malaysia’s tourism recovery, while Europe showed encouraging momentum. “The number of European visitors to Malaysia in the first quarter for the first time exceeded 500,000,” he shared.

To support further growth, Malaysia expanded its international air connectivity with 20 new scheduled routes and six charter services launched during the quarter, adding 95 weekly international flights.

The minister also stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships with global tourism and aviation players ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

Earlier this year, Tiong led Malaysia’s delegation to the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu and ITB Berlin 2026, where discussions were held with major industry players including Lufthansa Group, Expedia, Airbnb and Marriott International.

At ITB Berlin, Tiong met representatives from Lufthansa City Center International’s travel sales network to explore cooperation to advance European and global markets. The organisation has around 320 member travel agencies worldwide.

Malaysia’s tourism campaign has also been extended until December 31, 2027, with the government focusing on high-growth markets, enhanced connectivity and longer stays to boost visitor spending and strengthen the sector’s contribution to the national economy.