Dr. Syed Mehboob
Political and Economic Analyst
http//:www.thenewslark.com
By the grace of Almighty Allah, Malaysia is shining magnificently, and its many successes are worth mentioning. Malaysia has become the hub of International Tourism and has officially surpassed the most visited country in ASEAN 2024, recording an impressive 38 million foreign tourist arrivals. This good news was shared with the media by Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ting King Sing. Now the ministry is targeting RM 150 billion for the next year.,
ASEAN Tourist Arrival in 2024
| Country | No of Tourists visited in 2024 in millions |
| Malaysia | 38 |
| Thailand | 35.54 |
| Vietnam | 17.5 |
| Singapore | 15.3 |
| Indonesia | 12.66 |
| Cambodia | 6.7 |
| Philippines | 5.43 |
| Laos | 5.00 |
| Myanmar | 0.9 |
Notably, Malaysia’s official January-November 2024 data from Tourism Malaysia reported 34.1 million international arrivals, including excursionists—day visitors who do not stay overnight.The 38 million figure cited by Tiong is believed to be the most updated full-year total, pending public release.
Total Arrival from January to November 2024
| Year | No of arrivals in millions | % increase |
| 2024 | 34.156 | +31.84 |
| 2023 | 25.906 | -19.92 |
| 2019 | 321.35 |
Top visitors by countries
January to November 2024
| Country | No of Visitors in Millions | % Change |
| Singapore | 16.84 | +26.8 |
| Indonesia | 3.712 | +20.0 |
| China | 3.43 | +140.0 |
| Thailand | 2.078 | -1.5 |
| Brunei | 1.56 | +65.4 |
| India | 1.21 | +79.8 |
Tourists Arrival January to November 2024
| Year | Arrival in millions | % Change |
| 2024 | 22.46 | +26.10 |
| 2023 | 17.81 | -26.13 |
| 2019 | 24.11 |
Top Tourists Arrival by Country
| Country | Tourists in millions | % Change |
| Singapore | 8.048 | +10.7 |
| Indonesia | 3.27 | +18.4 |
| China | 3.038 | +132.7 |
| Thailand | 1.49 | +5.1 |
| Brunei | 1.014 | +71.7 |
| India | 1.009 | 50.8 |
In 2023, Malaysia recorded a dramatic increase in International Tourist arrivals, underscoring the country’s successful efforts to reignite global interest in its diverse offerings. The number of international visitors surged to 20.14 million, a significant leap from the 10.07 million in 2022. This magnificent 100 percent increase, while 22.8% below the 26.1 million visitors of 2019, reflects a strong trajectory. Malaysia’s rapid growth in the tourism sector is a testament to its strategic focus on high-value tourism and unique cultural offerings.
Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. In an effort to diversify Malaysia’s economy and reduce its dependency on exports, the government pushed to increase tourism in Malaysia. This led tourism to become Malaysia’s second-largest source of foreign exchange income. In 2022, tourism contributed 14% to Malaysia’s overall GDP.The government agency in charge of promoting tourism in Malaysia is Tourism Malaysia or the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB). On 20 May 1987, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism (MOCAT) was established and TDC moved to this new ministry. TDC existed from 1972 to 1992, when it became the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), through the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act, 1992.
Medical Tourism is popular in Malaysia, with the Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council (MHCTC) reporting an arrival of 1.3 million foreign patients in 2019, almost double the 2014 figure of around 882,000 foreign patients. Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, a government agency to promote medical tourism, was launched in 2009 as an initiative by the Ministry of Health. The established private healthcare facilities supported by internationally recognized doctors and trained medical staff have made Malaysia a top destination for medical travel. In 2019, Malaysia attracted 1.3 million international healthcare tourists who generated over $500 million in hospital receipts.
Revenue from the Medical Tourism market in Malaysia has been evaluated at US$ 1.92 billion in 2024. The Malaysian market has been projected to register a CAGR of 14.6 % and reach a value of US$ 7.54 billion by 2034.
| Medical Tourist Revenue US$ | 1.92 billion 2024 |
| Forecast for 2034 US$ | 7.54 billion |
In Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang is a shopping center and is famous for pedestrian scramble. Independent Square is a historical spot. Kuala Lumpur is the 6th most visited city in the world.
Malaysia aims to welcome 35.6 million foreign tourists in 2026, up 30% from the 27.3 million targeted in 2024, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday, as countries in Southeast Asia race to lure more visitors to boost their economies.Launching the Visit Malaysia 2026 initiative in Sepang, where national carrier Malaysia Airlines is headquartered, the prime minister of Malaysia said that Malaysia will make a “renewed commitment” to turn the country into a premier global tourism destination, adding that the government expects the tourism sector to generate 147.1 billion ringgit ($25.4 billion) that year.
Pakistani wealthiest people who visit Europe every year must visit Malaysia and see the beauty of Malaysia with the combination of rich culture and , great hospitality with their own eyes.
