Malaysia has emerged as the most-visited country in ASEAN for 2024, overtaking Thailand with a record-breaking 38 million foreign tourist arrivals.
According to Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, the nation’s tourism sector surpassed expectations, significantly exceeding the initial target of 27.3 million visitors. In 2023 alone, Malaysia welcomed 38 million tourists, a figure that far outstripped earlier projections, as reported by Kosmo.
Photo via Road Affair
Given this success, Tiong emphasised the need to revise the tourism target for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (TMM 2026).
“We have already reached 38 million tourists last year, so it’s time to review the target for TMM 2026. If we stick to 36 million, it would be lower than our current achievement,” he stated.
The minister also highlighted the government’s commitment to setting a more realistic goal that maximises economic benefits for the country through tourism. In addition to attracting more visitors, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) aims to generate at least RM150 billion in tourism revenue.
Malaysia’s strong performance in 2024 has put it ahead of Thailand, which recorded 35.54 million international arrivals. While Bangkok remains the world’s most-visited city and Kuala Lumpur ranks 10th, Malaysia as a whole has drawn more visitors than its regional rival.
ASEAN International Tourist Arrivals in 2024:
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Malaysia – 38 million
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Thailand – 35.54 million
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Vietnam – 17.5 million
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Singapore – 15.3 million*
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Indonesia – 12.66 million*
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Cambodia – 6.7 million
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Philippines – 5.43 million
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Laos – 5 million*
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Myanmar – 0.9 million*
*Note: Figures for Singapore, Indonesia, and Laos are based on the first 11 months of 2024. Brunei’s statistics have not been released.
Official data from Tourism Malaysia for January to November 2024 recorded 34.1 million international arrivals, including excursionists—day visitors who do not stay overnight. The 38 million total mentioned by Tiong is believed to be the most updated full-year figure, though the final numbers are yet to be officially published.
