Malaysia tourism arrivals reach 32.26 million in first nine months of 2026

Malaysia recorded 32.26 million international visitor arrivals from January to September 2026, representing a 2.4 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. According to Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, the tourism industry contributed approximately RM323 billion to the national economy—a 15.9 per cent increase—and supported 3.7 million jobs.

To sustain this momentum, the government has allocated RM935 million to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to support the Visit Malaysia Campaign 2026–2027. Tourism Malaysia has collaborated with 24 airlines to support 46 international flight routes, including 35 new routes connecting cities such as Xi’an, Guiyang, Shanghai, Busan, and Frankfurt to Malaysia.

While overall passenger movements across the Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) network fell by 12 per cent in September to 7.8 million, specific regional airports saw international growth. Subang Airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah) recorded a 24.1 per cent increase in international traffic, Ipoh Airport (Sultan Azlan Shah) grew by 16.6 per cent, and Penang International Airport saw a 5.3 per cent rise in international passengers.