A view of the skyline of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Data showed Malaysia received 26.1 million foreign tourists between January and November, making it Southeast Asia’s most popular travel destination this year.
According to data collected from tourism ministries of regional countries, Thailand came in second with 24.6 million tourists during the same period, followed by Singapore with 12.4 million and Vietnam with 11.2 million.
Other Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia, have recorded foreign tourist numbers below 10 million at different times.
As of late November, the Philippines had received just 4.6 million foreign tourists, while Indonesia and Cambodia had received 9.5 million and 4.4 million foreign tourists, respectively, as of October.
This year, Southeast Asian countries competed to attract foreign tourists with flexible immigration policies.
Starting December 1, Malaysia will allow citizens of mainland China and India to enter the country visa-free for 30 days, following a similar move by Thailand.
Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sin said he hoped tourist arrivals would continue to grow with the implementation of a 30-day visa waiver for travellers from China and India, The Star reported.
The number of international visitors to Malaysia recorded 26.1 million in 2019 but fell 83.4% to 4.33 million in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first emerged.
The following year, the number fell further to 130,000, but recovered to 10.1 million in 2022.
