By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 13: International visitor arrivals to Malaysia in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 5.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, reaching 10,647,200 arrivals.
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said the strong performance was driven largely by a surge in travel during the Chinese New Year period, which helped push February arrivals to a historic high of 3,472,557, the first time monthly arrivals had ever exceeded the 3 million mark.
“In the first quarter of last year, international visitor arrivals to Malaysia had already reached a historic level of 10,102,972 people. This year, the figure increased by about another 500,000, making it two consecutive first quarters surpassing the 10 million mark.
“Previously, Malaysia had never achieved 10 million international visitor arrivals in the first quarter. Even in 2019, before the pandemic, first-quarter arrivals stood at only 9,011,670,” he said in a statement posted on his social media today when unveiling the Visit Malaysia Year Campaign’s development report for the first quarter of 2026.
Tiong said that while global geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, have disrupted fuel supply chains and increased airline operating costs, leading to higher fares and some flight disruptions, Malaysia’s tourism sector has remained resilient.
He said only three regions recorded declines in arrivals during the quarter, with the Middle East down 27.2 per cent, while South Asia and North Africa fell by 6.7 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively.
“In contrast, arrivals from other regions all increased. Visitors from East Asia and ASEAN each grew by more than 200,000 people. Arrivals from the Americas, Oceania, and Europe also rose by more than 10,000 each, while Central Asia recorded the highest growth rate at 20 per cent compared to last year,” he said.
Among key source markets, Tiong revealed that China remained the top contributor, recording an increase of more than 280,000 visitors, or 25.2 per cent growth year-on-year.
Australia also posted double-digit growth of 11.4 per cent, while declines were recorded in Indonesia, India, and South Korea.
Within ASEAN, only Indonesia and Vietnam registered decreases, while other member states posted growth ranging between 3.5 per cent and 54.3 per cent. Overall, ASEAN arrivals grew by more than 350,000 visitors.
Tiong said European arrivals surpassed 500,000 for the first time in a first quarter, with 15 out of 16 key markets recording growth, led by Türkiye, Ukraine, and Poland.
He said Malaysia’s tourism strategy continues to focus on increasing both visitor numbers and spending, including efforts to extend tourists’ length of stay, particularly among European travellers.
Tiong also highlighted ongoing international engagement efforts, including Malaysia’s participation in the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu and ITB Berlin in March, where discussions were held with major global industry players, including Lufthansa Group, which confirmed plans to commence direct Frankfurt–Kuala Lumpur flights from Oct 25 this year.
He added that air connectivity remains a key driver of tourism growth, with 20 new scheduled routes launched in the first quarter alone, alongside 95 additional weekly international flights operated by 12 airlines.
During the Chinese New Year period, expanded flight frequencies between China and Malaysia helped push Chinese arrivals to 604,675, contributing to February’s record-breaking performance.
Tiong said the continued expansion of air links and strategic international partnerships would be critical in sustaining Malaysia’s tourism momentum throughout 2026. — DayakDaily
