Key figures: Malaysia tourism statistics 2025 and 2026
Tourism Malaysia statistics cover arrivals and hotels; DOSM covers spending and the economy. Each row names its source and the date we checked it.
| Figure | Value | Source (checked 15 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| International visitor arrivals, 2025 | 42.2 million (+11.2%) | Tourism Malaysia, Key Performance Indicators 2025 |
| Tourist (overnight) arrivals, 2025 | 26.6 million (+6.4%) | Tourism Malaysia, Key Performance Indicators 2025 |
| Visitor arrivals, January to June 2026 | 21.1 million (+2.5%) | Tourism Malaysia, arrivals infographic, January to June 2026 |
| Inbound tourism spending, 2025 | RM124.8 billion (+16.5%) | DOSM, Tourism Satellite Account 2025 (15 September 2026) |
| Foreign visitor spending, 2024 | RM106.8 billion (+43.7%) | Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Tourism Statistics in Brief 2024 |
| Domestic visitors, 2025 | 290.1 million (+11.5%), spending RM121.3 billion | DOSM, Domestic Tourism Survey 2025 (16 June 2026) |
| Domestic visitors, April to June 2026 | 76.9 million (+4.3%) | DOSM, Domestic Tourism Survey Q2 2026 (23 September 2026) |
| Tourism value added, 2025 | RM323.0 billion, 15.9% of GDP | DOSM, Tourism Satellite Account 2025 (15 September 2026) |
The tourism industry in Malaysia employed 3.7 million people in 2025 (DOSM). Visitors are all international arrivals; tourists are the overnight share.
Where visitors come from
Five neighbouring and regional markets sent most of the 42.2 million visitors in 2025, led by Singapore.
| Source market | Visitor arrivals, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Singapore | 21.08 million |
| China | 4.66 million |
| Indonesia | 4.27 million |
| Thailand | 2.50 million |
| Brunei | 1.59 million |
Source: Tourism Malaysia, Key Performance Indicators 2025. Chinese visitors plan trips on Xiaohongshu; see XHS marketing.
The hospitality industry in Malaysia
Malaysia's hotel industry had 5,390 hotels and 349,580 rooms in 2025, with average occupancy of 56.8%, up from 54.9% in 2024 (Tourism Malaysia).
In January to June 2026 supply stood at 350,069 rooms and occupancy at 51.2%. The Malaysian Association of Hotels has over 1,000 members in 13 chapters. See travel and hotel marketing.
Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign
The target has been restated three times. Tourism Malaysia's latest figure is 43 million international visitors in 2026.
| Target | Stated by | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 35.6 million tourists, RM147.1 billion in receipts | Tourism Malaysia (campaign launch) | 6 January 2025 |
| 47 million international visitor arrivals | MOTAC | 27 September 2025 |
| 43 million international visitors | Tourism Malaysia | 1 January 2026 |
Tourism Malaysia now calls the campaign Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 and describes it as extended to 2027 (19 August 2026).
Business events (MICE)
The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) secured 393 business events in 2025, with an estimated economic impact of RM4.07 billion from international delegates (MyCEB, 29 January 2026).
Rules a tourism business markets under
- Licensing. Tour operators and travel agencies are licensed by MOTAC under the Tourism Industry Act 1992. See MOTAC licensing (opens in a new tab).
- Tourism tax. Accommodation operators collect it from tourists under the Tourism Tax Act 2017, amended in 2021. See Customs MyTTx (opens in a new tab).
- Guest and lead data. Bookings and enquiries are personal data under the PDPA 2010. See PDPA in Malaysia.
- Healthcare travel. Hospital advertising follows Ministry of Health rules. See medical tourism data.
These are pointers, not advice. Confirm specifics with the primary source or your legal adviser.
How large operators win international demand
Source-market SEO and GEO
Xiaohongshu and creators
Chinese visitors research on Xiaohongshu before they book. See KOL marketing for creator programmes.
Paid media in source markets
Search and social campaigns run in each source market. See performance marketing.
WhatsApp follow-up
Direct enquiries and booking questions answered on WhatsApp. See WhatsApp automation.
Reporting by source market
Every channel reported as enquiries and bookings by source market, against the arrival figures above.
Sources
- Tourism Malaysia, Key Performance Indicators 2025 (opens in a new tab) (arrivals, source markets, hotel supply and occupancy; read 15 October 2026).
- Tourism Malaysia, visitor arrivals, January to June 2026 (opens in a new tab) and hotel survey, January to June 2026 (opens in a new tab) (read 15 October 2026).
- Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Tourism Statistics in Brief 2024 (opens in a new tab) (read 15 October 2026).
- DOSM, Tourism Satellite Account 2025 (opens in a new tab) (15 September 2026), Domestic Tourism Survey 2025 (opens in a new tab) (16 June 2026) and Q2 2026 (opens in a new tab) (23 September 2026).
- Tourism Malaysia, VM2026 launch (opens in a new tab) (6 January 2025), VM2026 begins (opens in a new tab) (1 January 2026) and PATA Gold Awards release (opens in a new tab) (19 August 2026).
- MOTAC, official launch of VM2026 with Melaka (opens in a new tab) (27 September 2025).
- MyCEB, media engagement 2026 release (opens in a new tab) (29 January 2026); Malaysian Association of Hotels, about us (opens in a new tab) (read 15 October 2026).