Penang draws 285,400 medical tourists, RM601.8m revenue in first half of 2026

George Town, Penang, September 30 — In the first half of 2026, the state of Penang welcomed approximately 285,400 medical tourists, contributing to a medical tourism revenue of RM601.8 million, according to Wong Hon Wai, chairman of the state tourism and creative economy committee. The figures, sourced from Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) data, underscore the sector's substantial scale and Penang's pivotal role in Malaysia's medical tourism industry.

Wong emphasized that Penang accounted for over a third of Malaysia's medical tourism industry, both in terms of tourist numbers and economic impact, serving as the country's leading destination. The reported figures encompassed only hospitals and excluded dental clinics, clinical laboratories, diagnostic centers, pharmacies, and other healthcare service providers; thus, the overall involvement of Penang in the medical tourism ecosystem could be significantly higher.

Recently, Wong met with MHTC representatives in Kuala Lumpur to evaluate Penang's performance and devise strategies, resource coordination, and joint promotional initiatives for the final quarter of Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026. Wong highlighted Penang's strategic position to capitalize on Malaysia's recent global ranking as the sixth-best medical tourism destination for 2026 by Travel And Tour World.

While affordability remains a key attraction for medical tourists, Penang's industry boasts other substantial advantages, including internationally accredited healthcare institutions, state-of-the-art medical facilities, competitively priced and high-quality services, multilingual support, and a conducive communication environment.

Indonesia remains Penang's largest source market for medical tourism, with direct flight connections from cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Banda Aceh, and Medan. A new direct flight route from Batam to Penang is scheduled to commence on October 18. Penang and Malaysia are encountering intense competition from neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Pakistan, which have also been actively developing their medical tourism sectors.

To counter this, Penang must remain forward-looking and plan ahead. Malaysia's multilingual communication advantage can help diversify Penang's international source markets, prompting the state to explore markets like the Arab region and Australia, where Penang's beaches, food, heritage sites, and cultural richness could attract additional medical tourists.