The conflict in the Middle East has reshaped global travel patterns, with a significant influx of tourists from India, China, and Southeast Asia choosing Malaysia as their destination, leading to a substantial increase in international visitor numbers.
In light of this, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is confident that the country can exceed the government’s target of attracting 43 million international tourists this year.
MATTA Vice President Datuk Mohd Hizzat Mohd Shah stated that despite the strong performance of the Malaysian ringgit, tourist arrivals from India, China, and Singapore remain robust.
“Currently, Indian tourists are unable to travel to Oman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE, so they are turning to Malaysia instead. With MATTA’s recent tourism promotion efforts in India and the government’s initiatives to promote local delicacies such as satay, we are optimistic that the growth in tourism will exceed the target set by the Ministry of Tourism.”
Mohd Hizzat made these remarks today (26th) at a press conference for the 2026 MATTA Travel Fair held at the Kuala Lumpur International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).
Surge in Southeast Asian Tourists
At the same time, local travel agencies have also observed a notable increase in tourist arrivals from Southeast Asian countries.
Indonesian and Filipino tourists, who previously favored Europe as a travel destination, now appear to be shifting their focus to Malaysia.
MATTA General Treasurer Rocky Kho noted that the government is actively promoting tourism in ASEAN regions through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.
“The Ministry of Tourism has emailed us, indicating that they will be organizing numerous roadshows in Southeast Asia to intensify efforts in achieving the target of increasing international tourist arrivals, without waiting for the war to end. I believe they are being very proactive.”
Singaporean Tourists Account for Half of Visitors
According to the Ministry of Tourism’s international visitor arrival data from last year, Malaysia’s tourism industry heavily relies on tourists from ASEAN countries.
In 2025, a total of 21.08 million Singaporean tourists visited Malaysia, accounting for half of the 42.2 million international tourist arrivals.
Chinese tourists ranked second with 4.66 million visitors, followed by tourists from Indonesia (4.27 million) and Thailand (2.5 million).
Tourist arrivals from Europe and the Gulf region were relatively low: the United Kingdom recorded 429,974 visitors; France 228,173; Germany 188,928; Saudi Arabia 59,080; Iran 21,345; the UAE 7,682; and Qatar 2,804.
In the meantime, MATTA has urged the government to consider unifying diesel subsidies for tourist buses and other commercial vehicles to avoid increasing operational costs for the industry.
