Malaysia has witnessed a significant surge in international tourism, with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry reporting that foreign visitor numbers jumped 14.5% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
An estimated 28.2 million tourists visited Malaysia between January and August 2025, up from 24.7 million during the corresponding months in 2024, marking a robust recovery and growth in the Southeast Asian nation's tourism sector.
Singapore continues to dominate as Malaysia's top source market with 14 million travelers representing an 18.1% increase, followed by remarkable growth from China with 3.3 million visitors surging 27.5%, and India contributing 1.1 million tourists with an impressive 22.5% jump year-over-year.
Indonesia added 2.9 million visitors with a 6.8% increase and Thailand contributed 1.6 million travelers showing a 5.8% rise, collectively demonstrating that regional Asian markets remain the driving force behind Malaysia's tourism expansion this year.
The ministry acknowledged to parliament member Wong Shu Qi that while certain markets experienced declines, authorities plan to implement more aggressive promotional campaigns and marketing missions to revitalize arrivals from underperforming source countries and sustain the positive momentum throughout the remainder of 2025.
