21mil tourist arrivals in first half of 2026, but pace slackens
Minister says the growth rate of 2.5% was the lowest for the corresponding period since the post-pandemic recovery began.
Malaysia welcomed over 21 million international tourists in the first half of 2026, marking a 2.5% increase from the same period in 2025, according to tourism minister Tiong King Sing. Despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East causing a decline in arrivals from key source markets, overall growth remained positive. The minister attributed this to sustained growth in arrivals from other regions, including Singapore, the Philippines, China, Central Asia, Oceania, and North America.
However, the growth rate was the lowest since the post-pandemic recovery began, primarily due to the impact of the Middle East conflict on international flight operations.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- 21mil tourist arrivals in first half of 2026, but pace slackens freemalaysiatoday.com
