Lifestyles

Malaysia Sets New Record with Over 42 Million International Visitors in 2025

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia achieved a major tourism milestone in 2025, welcoming more than 42.19 million international visitors—the highest annual figure in the nation’s history.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, announced that the country recorded a total of 42,196,892 international arrivals last year. This represents an 11.2% increase compared with 2024 and a 20.4% rise over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

“This new record is a strong vote of confidence in Malaysia as a preferred destination for international visitors. It reflects the collective efforts of the Government, the industry and the rakyat in revitalising our tourism sector after the pandemic,” he said in a statement issued alongside his 2025 work progress briefing.

Top Source Markets Reach New Milestones

Singapore, China and Indonesia continued to dominate as Malaysia’s top three visitor source markets in 2025, each achieving record-breaking numbers.

Singapore remained the largest contributor, with visitor arrivals surpassing the 20 million mark for the first time to reach 21,076,783.

China recorded the strongest growth among the top markets, with 4,661,878 visitors—an increase of 25.1% compared with 2024 and 40% higher than 2019. Notably, China overtook Indonesia for the first time to become Malaysia’s second-largest source market.

Indonesia also posted a new high, contributing 4,266,358 visitors, up 2.9% year-on-year and nearly 10% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Growth Across Regions

As ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia experienced strong growth in arrivals from regional neighbours. ASEAN countries collectively contributed 30,722,672 visitors, marking an increase of nearly 9% compared with the previous year.

India stood out as a key growth market. After surpassing one million visitors in 2024, arrivals from India rose further to 1,565,194 in 2025, a 14.6% increase. This growth pushed total arrivals from South Asia beyond two million for the first time, reaching 2,128,465 visitors.

Central Asia also saw steady gains, with arrivals doubling to 75,312 visitors compared with just over 37,000 in 2019.

Expanding Global Reach

Malaysia’s tourism appeal continued to expand globally, with 21 countries and regions each contributing more than 100,000 visitors in 2025—the highest number on record.

In North America, arrivals from the United States exceeded 330,000, while Canada recorded 112,432 visitors, crossing the six-figure threshold for the first time.

Europe also showed strong performance, contributing nearly 1.5 million visitors overall. The United Kingdom led with 429,974 arrivals, followed by France with 228,173 and Germany, which recorded a new high of 188,928 visitors.

The record-breaking performance underscores Malaysia’s strong recovery and growing appeal as a leading global tourism destination.

Related News

Malaysia to Issue Diplomatic Note Rejecting Renewed Sabah Claim

TEHRAN: Iran continues to maintain its stance of fully controlling ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, only allowing ships deemed “non-hostile” to transit as long as they coordinate with Tehran authorities. This was stated in an official letter from Iran to member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In the letter, Iran stressed that foreign ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz provided they comply with announced safety regulations and are not involved in any form of support for aggressive actions against the country. Iran added that ships linked to the United States, Israel or parties involved in the current conflict are not eligible for passage. Ship tracking data in recent days shows that Iran has allowed a small number of ships to transit through its territorial waters, including ships from China, India and Pakistan. This route is often used to allow Iranian authorities to verify the identity and purpose of ships before they are allowed to pass, according to maritime analysts. Due to the risk of attacks and tensions in the narrow waters near Oman, many commercial ships are now changing their routes to routes closer to the Iranian coast, including the area around Larak Island. The move gives Iran a monitoring advantage as well as strengthening its control over maritime traffic in the strategic route. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz peaked after the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, causing shipping traffic to almost come to a standstill and affecting global oil supplies. The Strait of Hormuz previously handled around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. With rising shipping costs and global oil prices, Iran is now trying to balance its economic interests while maintaining pressure on its perceived enemies. Free navigation access in the Strait of Hormuz is also one of the main points in the 15-point peace plan developed by the United States and sent to Iran via Pakistan. But so far, there is no sign that Tehran is willing to give up its strategic advantage without comprehensive security guarantees. Iran has said it will not relax control over the maritime route as long as the conflict continues, with several government sources insisting that pressure on the enemy will continue until there is a full ceasefire.

Seven Malaysian Tankers Await Safe Passage Through Strait Of Hormuz – Mohamad

PN to Treat MIC’s Silence as Rejection of Membership Offer

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Pandan Member of Parliament Rafizi Ramli has identified the individual referred to as “Mr R” in statements by businessman Victor Chin, alleging that the person is lawyer Sandraruben Neelamagham, also known as Ruben. Rafizi claimed that Ruben holds roles as a NexG corporate advisor and director of Solid HighTech, and is believed to act as an intermediary between a group described as a “corporate mafia” and key stakeholders in matters involving pressure on shareholders. According to Rafizi, communications between Victor Chin and Ruben suggest that “Mr R” operates on behalf of a more influential figure, often referencing a “boss” in their exchanges. He further linked the alleged “boss” to Farhash Wafa Salvador, a former political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Rafizi questioned whether the alleged influence of these individuals extended to directing authorities to exert pressure on NexG shareholders, and whether such connections played a role in securing a government contract worth billions of ringgit for NexG. “I have fulfilled my promise to reveal who Mr R is,” Rafizi said in a social media post, adding that the matter now warrants an explanation from the Prime Minister regarding the allegations raised.

Rafizi Claims ‘Mr R’, Raises Questions Over Alleged Corporate Influence

Latest News

Malaysia to Issue Diplomatic Note Rejecting Renewed Sabah Claim

TEHRAN: Iran continues to maintain its stance of fully controlling ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, only allowing ships deemed “non-hostile” to transit as long as they coordinate with Tehran authorities. This was stated in an official letter from Iran to member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In the letter, Iran stressed that foreign ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz provided they comply with announced safety regulations and are not involved in any form of support for aggressive actions against the country. Iran added that ships linked to the United States, Israel or parties involved in the current conflict are not eligible for passage. Ship tracking data in recent days shows that Iran has allowed a small number of ships to transit through its territorial waters, including ships from China, India and Pakistan. This route is often used to allow Iranian authorities to verify the identity and purpose of ships before they are allowed to pass, according to maritime analysts. Due to the risk of attacks and tensions in the narrow waters near Oman, many commercial ships are now changing their routes to routes closer to the Iranian coast, including the area around Larak Island. The move gives Iran a monitoring advantage as well as strengthening its control over maritime traffic in the strategic route. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz peaked after the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, causing shipping traffic to almost come to a standstill and affecting global oil supplies. The Strait of Hormuz previously handled around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. With rising shipping costs and global oil prices, Iran is now trying to balance its economic interests while maintaining pressure on its perceived enemies. Free navigation access in the Strait of Hormuz is also one of the main points in the 15-point peace plan developed by the United States and sent to Iran via Pakistan. But so far, there is no sign that Tehran is willing to give up its strategic advantage without comprehensive security guarantees. Iran has said it will not relax control over the maritime route as long as the conflict continues, with several government sources insisting that pressure on the enemy will continue until there is a full ceasefire.

Seven Malaysian Tankers Await Safe Passage Through Strait Of Hormuz – Mohamad

PN to Treat MIC’s Silence as Rejection of Membership Offer

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Pandan Member of Parliament Rafizi Ramli has identified the individual referred to as “Mr R” in statements by businessman Victor Chin, alleging that the person is lawyer Sandraruben Neelamagham, also known as Ruben. Rafizi claimed that Ruben holds roles as a NexG corporate advisor and director of Solid HighTech, and is believed to act as an intermediary between a group described as a “corporate mafia” and key stakeholders in matters involving pressure on shareholders. According to Rafizi, communications between Victor Chin and Ruben suggest that “Mr R” operates on behalf of a more influential figure, often referencing a “boss” in their exchanges. He further linked the alleged “boss” to Farhash Wafa Salvador, a former political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Rafizi questioned whether the alleged influence of these individuals extended to directing authorities to exert pressure on NexG shareholders, and whether such connections played a role in securing a government contract worth billions of ringgit for NexG. “I have fulfilled my promise to reveal who Mr R is,” Rafizi said in a social media post, adding that the matter now warrants an explanation from the Prime Minister regarding the allegations raised.

Rafizi Claims ‘Mr R’, Raises Questions Over Alleged Corporate Influence