Malaysia welcomes 32 million tourists in nine months, highest in Southeast Asia

Malaysia recorded 32.2 million international arrivals in the first nine months of this year, up 2.4% from the same period last year, the highest figure in Southeast Asia.

The tourism industry generated RM323 billion (US$79 million) during the period, accounting for 15.9% of the country's gross domestic product, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said as quoted by Malaysian news site Dewan Rakyat.

Industry insiders linked the growth to the expansion of direct flight routes and the increase in international events.

In the second quarter, Malaysia hosted 125 international events, an increase of 81.2%, while international delegate numbers rose 105.2% to 83,596.

The government has allocated RM10 million to attract more MICE events and major international sports tournaments, Tiong said.

Tourism Malaysia has partnered with 24 airlines, including 21 international carriers, to support 46 international routes.

Of these, 35 are new routes, including Shanghai-Tawau, Shanghai-Penang, Xiamen-Kota Kinabalu and Frankfurt-Kuala Lumpur, Tiong said.

Malaysia has emerged as a bright spot in Southeast Asia tourism landscape, as neighboring countries reported declines in visitor arrivals.

Thailand received 23.4 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of this year, down 3.88% year-on-year.

International visitors to Singapore between January and September dropped 1.7% year-on-year to 12.6 million, while the number to Cambodia plunged 43.7% to 2.46 million.