Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once ranked 9th in the world for tourist arrivals.[1] In 2017, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Malaysia 26 out of 141 countries using its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) which measures the various components and policies of a country that are in place to allow for the sustainable development of its travel and tourism sectors.[2]
![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Batu_Caves_stairs_2022-05.jpg/220px-Batu_Caves_stairs_2022-05.jpg)
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.[3] In 2022, tourism contributed 14% to Malaysia's overall GDP.[4]
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.
In 1990, Malaysia launched a tourism campaign called "Fascinating Malaysia. Year of Festivals" which was considered a success and brought in the arrivals of 7.4 million tourists.[5] Five years later, in 1994, Malaysia launched another campaign themed "Fascinating Malaysia. Naturally More" which welcomed 10.22 million tourists.[5] In 2007, Malaysia launched its most notable tourism campaign titled "Malaysia Truly Asia".[5] This campaign was launched in conjunction with Malaysia's 50th year of independence and was heavily promoted and advertised.[5] It exceeded expectations and was a massive success, chartering the arrivals of 20.97 million tourists.[5]
Types of tourism
editMedical tourism
editMedical tourism is popular in Malaysia, with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council reporting an arrival of 641,000 foreign patients in 2011, 728,800 in 2012, 881,000 in 2013 and 882,000 in 2014.[6] Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, a government agency with the aim of promoting medical tourism, was launched in 2009 as an initiative by the Ministry of Health.[7]
Tourist arrivals
editTourist arrivals
editIn 2016, Malaysia recorded 26,757,392 tourist arrivals, a growth of 4.0% compared to 25,721,251 in 2015. The table lists the top 15 arrivals to Malaysia by their origin countries.
— | Denotes that the country was not within the top 15 arrivals for that year |
Country | Visitors (6/2024)[8] | Visitors (2023)[9] | Visitors (2022)[10] | Visitors (2021)[11] | Visitors (2020)[12] | Visitors (2019)[13] | Visitors (2018)[14] | Visitors (2017)[15] | Visitors (2016)[16] | Visitors (2015)[17] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singapore | 4,276,007 | 8,308,230 | 5,222,991 | 16,308 | 1,545,255 | 10,163,882 | 10,615,986 | 12,441,713 | 13,272,961 | 12,930,754 |
Indonesia | 1,786,630 | 3,108,165 | 1,481,739 | 11,025 | 711,723 | 3,623,277 | 3,277,689 | 2,796,570 | 3,049,964 | 2,788,033 |
Thailand | 813,783 | 1,551,282 | 715,528 | 59,607 | 394,413 | 1,884,306 | 1,914,692 | 1,836,522 | 1,780,800 | 1,343,569 |
China | 1,449,711 | 1,474,114 | 211,363 | 7,701 | 405,149 | 3,114,257 | 2,944,133 | 2,281,666 | 2,124,942 | 1,677,163 |
Brunei | 565,999 | 811,833 | 301,757 | 773 | 136,020 | 1,216,123 | 1,382,031 | 1,660,506 | 1,391,016 | 1,133,555 |
India | 537,493 | 671,846 | 324,548 | 3,916 | 155,883 | 735,309 | 600,311 | 552,739 | 638,578 | 722,141 |
South Korea | 232,711 | 400,853 | 146,384 | 3,028 | 119,750 | 673,065 | 616,783 | 484,528 | 444,439 | 421,161 |
Vietnam | 168,015 | 344,361 | 173,763 | 583 | 64,184 | 400,346 | 375,578 | 248,927 | 216,877 | 229,926 |
Australia | 178,931 | 343,438 | 152,265 | 1,321 | 72,680 | 368,271 | 351,500 | 351,232 | 377,727 | 486,948 |
Philippines | 192,067 | 339,282 | 159,442 | 2,317 | 66,051 | 421,908 | 396,062 | 370,559 | 417,446 | 554,917 |
Taiwan | 178,038 | 283,380 | 48,132 | 563 | 60,090 | 382,916 | 383,922 | 332,927 | 300,861 | 283,224 |
United Kingdom | 175,545 | 272,297 | 134,667 | 2,676 | 63,868 | 346,485 | 361,335 | 358,818 | 400,269 | 401,019 |
Japan | 132,684 | 229,892 | 83,309 | 3,114 | 74,383 | 424,694 | 394,540 | 392,777 | 413,768 | 483,569 |
United States | 134,474 | 229,476 | 108,141 | 2,030 | 48,810 | 269,928 | 253,384 | 198,203 | 217,075 | 237,768 |
Bangladesh | 63,427 | 142,748 | 59,033 | 1,509 | 17,634 | 179,000 | 150,053 | 111,836 | 114,607 | 147,152 |
Germany | 82,721 | 125,987 | 57,780 | 824 | 27,458 | 130,221 | 128,895 | 109,816 | 130,276 | 144,910 |
France | 71,874 | 115,145 | 55,087 | 843 | 28,237 | 141,661 | 139,408 | 131,668 | 134,257 | 151,474 |
Russia | 60,072 | 109,689 | 33,003 | 399 | 28,694 | 79,984 | 72,785 | 67,564 | 50,893 | 55,263 |
Pakistan | 44,983 | 107,657 | 60,535 | 2,043 | 17,777 | 105,757 | 74,458 | 53,453 | 58,388 | 69,112 |
Myanmar | 51,680 | 86,298 | 36,765 | 377 | 9,745 | 46,257 | 38,513 | 42,314 | 49,175 | 66,553 |
Cambodia | 32,382 | 72,627 | 39,823 | 250 | 16,548 | 97,097 | 90,113 | 42,004 | 61,844 | 75,059 |
Canada | 42,783 | 71,981 | 30,656 | 471 | 16,631 | 87,568 | 84,705 | 67,056 | 72,337 | 79,557 |
Netherlands | 33,700 | 68,448 | 31,070 | 466 | 14,486 | 82,110 | 81,651 | 75,885 | 72,200 | 84,584 |
Sri Lanka | 26,241 | 55,050 | 24,906 | 385 | 8,142 | 26,058 | 28,376 | 43,738 | 33,340 | 51,337 |
Saudi Arabia | 27,365 | 51,375 | 35,980 | 687 | 23,390 | 121,444 | 112,263 | 100,549 | 123,878 | 99,754 |
Italy | 24,561 | 48,440 | 18,866 | 300 | 8,971 | 54,710 | 52,055 | 44,638 | 42,747 | 51,946 |
New Zealand | 21,854 | 42,955 | 18,238 | 196 | 8,794 | 50,140 | 50,698 | 55,923 | 53,352 | 60,846 |
Spain | 18,920 | 40,762 | 20,474 | 147 | 6,367 | 43,616 | 42,267 | 35,149 | 28,018 | 36,692 |
Switzerland | 13,239 | 23,312 | 10,486 | 197 | 5,263 | 25,659 | 25,680 | 20,775 | 26,628 | 28,141 |
Poland | 17,372 | 21,472 | 8,472 | 161 | 7,539 | 27,033 | 24,364 | 20,067 | 19,768 | 19,920 |
Egypt | 10,795 | 20,783 | 11,117 | 652 | 6,204 | 29,831 | 27,909 | 23,760 | 30,231 | 25,637 |
Iran | 14,377 | 19,908 | 7,570 | 314 | 7,078 | 46,559 | 67,094 | 59,023 | 47,102 | 65,066 |
Nepal | 9,402 | 18,488 | 11,379 | 198 | 5,067 | 20,437 | 19,914 | 20,553 | 60,476 | 93,159 |
Ireland | 10,664 | 18,127 | 8,739 | 137 | 3,735 | 25,659 | 19,687 | 20,854 | 18,208 | 22,746 |
Sweden | 11,244 | 18,006 | 8,083 | 253 | 9,292 | 29,592 | 32,665 | 34,304 | 32,861 | 35,586 |
Belgium | 10,584 | 17,726 | 7,543 | 122 | 3,734 | 22,082 | 20,624 | 17,327 | 14,283 | 18,789 |
Turkey | 11,851 | 17,275 | 7,169 | 286 | 3,152 | 15,290 | 15,406 | 14,594 | 13,029 | 15,395 |
Laos | 8,657 | 16,781 | 7,010 | 425 | 5,424 | 26,955 | 23,782 | 39,460 | 31,061 | 24,448 |
Denmark | 10.009 | 16,053 | 7,717 | 214 | 6,061 | 22,314 | 23,566 | 23,219 | 21,612 | 24,113 |
South Africa | 7,365 | 15,155 | 7,937 | 168 | 3,876 | 22,674 | 21,977 | 21,560 | 20,053 | 20,625 |
Iraq | 7,851 | 12,562 | 6,008 | 452 | 3,628 | 21,421 | 22,291 | 18,555 | 22,533 | 20,098 |
Ukraine | 7,398 | 11,129 | 4,381 | 298 | 6,326 | 16,019 | 14,529 | 13,068 | 12,971 | 10,672 |
Norway | 6,375 | 9,981 | 4,960 | 136 | 3,552 | 14,585 | 15,202 | 14,121 | 14,709 | 18,622 |
Kazakhstan | 13,317 | 8,298 | 2,836 | 141 | 6,065 | 18,138 | 13,861 | 12,577 | 10,717 | 15,410 |
United Arab Emirates | 2,258 | 7,877 | 3,230 | 86 | 679 | 11,174 | 9,386 | 8,555 | 14,150 | 15,769 |
Grand Total | 11,808,937 | 20,141,846 | 10,074,964 | 134,728 | 4,332,722 | 26,100,784 | 25,832,354 | 25,948,459 | 26,757,392 | 25,721,251 |
Destinations and attractions
editBird's-eye view of Kuching, Sarawak - George Town – the capital city of Penang, one of the country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 7 July 2008.
- Ipoh – capital of Perak, famous for its Chinese food, tin mines and limestone mountains and caves
- Johor Bahru – capital of Johor, and gateway to Singapore
- Kangar – capital of Perlis, and gateway to Thailand
- Kota Kinabalu – capital of Sabah, nearest city to Mount Kinabalu
- Kota Bharu – capital of Kelantan, and gateway to Thailand
- Kuala Terengganu – capital of Terengganu, famous for the turtles and beaches
- Kuantan – capital of Pahang, noted for its many beaches
- Kuching – capital of Sarawak, the Cat City of Malaysia
- Malacca City – a historical city in Malaysia. This is the other cultural World Heritage Site in Malaysia since 7 July 2008.
- Seremban – the capital of Negeri Sembilan, and the nearest cities to Port Dickson
- Putrajaya – the administrative centre of Malaysia
- Victoria – capital of Labuan, the offshore financial centre of Malaysia
- Petaling Jaya – a satellite city located in the state of Selangor, and is in the proximity of Kuala Lumpur. It has the most commercial complexes in Malaysia.
Beside the main cities, there other town and places in Malaysia offer some special tourist attraction. Such as in Taiping for their landscape and local attraction. Teluk Intan for their Leaning tower. Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Bukit Tinggi in Pahang and Kundasang in Sabah for a cool climate. Muar in Johor is famous for its food. Miri is the official tourism-city and resort city of Sarawak and Sibu in Sarawak is famous for its landscape and parks.
Islands and beaches
editMalaysia has several tropical islands. Some of the islands in Malaysia are:
- Kapas
- Labuan
- Langkawi
- Lang Tengah
- Mabul
- Pangkor
- Penang
- Perhentian
- Rawa
- Redang
- Sipadan
- Tenggol
- Tioman
- Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
National parks and nature reserves
edit- Kubah National Park, Sarawak
- Bako National Park, Sarawak – famed for its wildlife, especially Bornean bearded pigs and proboscis monkeys
- Batang Ai National Park, Sarawak.
- Gunung Buda National Park, Sarawak.
- Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak
- Gunung Gading National Park, Sarawak
- Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak
- Niah Caves National Park, Sarawak
- Loagan Bunut National Park, Sarawak
- Kinabalu National Park, Sabah – home of 4100 metre peak Mount Kinabalu
- Taman Negara National Park – the world's oldest rainforest, spanning Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu
- Endau Rompin National Park, Johor
- Taman Eko Rimba, Kuala Lumpur - the nature reserve in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. The nature reserve is located near Kuala Lumpur Tower.
- Kinabenuwa Wetland & Mangrove Forest, Labuan
Other places of interest
edit- A' Famosa Resort, Malacca
- Aquaria KLCC, KL
- Bakelalan, Sarawak
- Bario, Sarawak
- Batu Caves, Selangor
- Batu Ferringhi, Penang
- Berjaya Hills Resort, Pahang
- Berjaya Times Square, KL
- Bukit Bintang, KL
- Cameron Highlands, Pahang
- Central Market, KL
- Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malacca
- Chin Swee Caves Temple, Pahang
- Crystal Mosque, Terengganu
- Dhammikarama Burmese Temple, Penang
- Fort Cornwallis, Penang
- Fraser's Hill, Pahang
- Genting Highlands, Pahang
- Gurney Drive, Penang
- Islamic Arts Museum, KL
- Kampung Baru, KL
- Kek Lok Si, Penang
- Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, Pahang
- Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, KL
- Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park, KL
- Kuala Lumpur Tower, KL
- Labuan Bird Park, Labuan
- Labuan Botanical Gardens, Labuan
- Labuan Financial Park Complex, Labuan
- Labuan Maritime Museum, Labuan
- Labuan Kwang Fook Kong Temple, Labuan
- Labuan War Cemetery, Labuan
- Long Pasia, Sipitang, Sabah
- Masjid Negara, KL
- Merdeka Square, KL
- Mines Wellness City, Selangor
- Muzium Negara, KL
- National Monument, KL
- Penang Hill, Penang
- Perdana Botanical Gardens, KL
- Petronas Twin Towers, KL
- Poh San Teng Temple, Malacca
- Snake Temple, Penang
- Sri Mahamariamman Temple, KL
- Stadium Merdeka, KL
- Sultan Abdul Samad Building, KL
- Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, Selangor
- Sunway Lagoon, Selangor
- Thean Hou Temple, KL
- Wat Chetawan, Selangor
- Wat Phothivihan, Kelantan
- Zoo Negara, Selangor
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Mohd Ayob, Norizawati; Masron, Tarmiji (2014). Othuman Mydin, M.A.; Marzuki, A. (eds.). "Issues of Safety and Security: New Challenging to Malaysia Tourism Industry". SHS Web of Conferences. 12: 01083. doi:10.1051/shsconf/20141201083. ISSN 2261-2424.
- ^ Crotti, Roberto; Misrahi, Tiffany, eds. (2017). The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 (PDF). Geneva: World Economic Forum. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-944835-08-8.
- ^ Hanafiah, Mohd Hafiz Mohd; Harun, Mohd Fauzi Mohd (2010). "Tourism Demand in Malaysia: A cross-sectional pool time-series analysis" (PDF). International Journal of Trade, Economics, and Finance. 1 (2): 200.
- ^ Sunbiz. "Tourism rebounded in 2022, contributed 14% to GDP". thesun.my. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Tourism Malaysia Corporate Site". www.tourism.gov.my. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Statistics". Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ Sarwar, Abdullah (2013). "Medical Tourism in Malaysia: Prospect and Challenges". Iranian Journal of Public Health. 42 (8): 795–805. ISSN 2251-6085. PMC 4441909. PMID 26056632.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2024)". Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2023)" (PDF). Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2022)" (PDF). Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2021)" (PDF). Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2020)" (PDF). Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2019)" (PDF). Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2018)" (PDF). Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2017)" (PDF). Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2016)" (PDF). Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ^ "Top 45 Tourist Arrivals (2015)" (PDF). Retrieved 4 March 2018.