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Tourism in Malaysia

Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once ranked 9th in the world for tourist arrivals. In 2017, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Malaysia 26 out of 141 countries using its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) which measures the various components and policies of a country that are in place to allow for the sustainable development of its travel and tourism sectors.

In an effort to diversify Malaysia's economy and reduce its dependency on exports, the government pushed to increase tourism in Malaysia. This led tourism to become Malaysia's second largest source of foreign exchange income. In 2022, tourism contributed 14% to Malaysia's overall GDP.

The government agency in charge of promoting tourism in Malaysia is Tourism Malaysia or the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB). On 20 May 1987, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism (MOCAT) was established and TDC moved to this new ministry. TDC existed from 1972 to 1992, when it became the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), through the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act, 1992.

In 2007, Malaysia launched its most notable tourism campaign titled "Malaysia Truly Asia". This campaign was launched in conjunction with Malaysia's 50th year of independence and was heavily promoted and advertised. It exceeded expectations and was a massive success, chartering the arrivals of 20.97 million tourists.

In 2025, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru were named among the top 10 destinations in Asia with the highest number of repeat visitors, according to Agoda. In the same year, Malaysia received approximately 26.6 million international tourist arrivals from its main source markets, the vast majority originating from Asia (about 23.7 million visitors, or 89.1%), while Western markets — Europe, Northern America, as well as Australia and New Zealand — accounted for only about 2.2 million arrivals (8.2%). Other regions, including the Middle East and Africa, accounted for a comparatively smaller share of arrivals. Major source markets included Singapore (35.1%), China, Indonesia, Thailand and India, while the largest Western source markets were Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany.

Entering the country

Most nationalities can enter Malaysia without a visa and are normally issued 30, 60, or 90-day entry permit stamps. Some nationalities that are not eligible to enter without a visa can get a tourist visa on arrival; other nationalities must apply for a visa in advance. Most notably, holders of Israeli or Serbia-Montenegro passports are not allowed to visit Malaysia without separate, prior approval from the Home Ministry (a fairly routine but bureaucratic process). See the Immigration Department of Malaysia website for the current scoop.

By plane

Most international flights land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA); AirAsia flights now use the new LCC terminal, a 20km road transfer away from the main KLIA terminal. KLIA's predecessor, the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang near Kuala Lumpur handles chartered and turboprop aircraft.

See the Kuala Lumpur "Get in" section for detailed airport information.

Other airports handling international flights are Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Malacca and Penang, plus Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Kuching (Sarawak).

National carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has an extensive worldwide network coverage and regularly ranks high in airline quality assessments, while no-frills low-cost carrier AirAsia now covers an ever-expanding set of neighbouring destinations including Cambodia, Indonesia, Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

By train

  • To/from Thailand: Direct sleeper train services operated by the State Railway of Thailand http://www.railway.co.th/english/ connect Bangkok (Thailand) and Butterworth near Penang (Malaysia), while Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Malaysian Railways) http://www.ktmb.com.my runs trains between Hat Yai (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Both trains cross the border at Padang Besar where Thai and Malaysia immigration formalities are all conveniently done in the station. There is also a less used eastern route from Hat Yai to Thai border town Sungai Kolok, but there are no through trains to the nearby Malaysian station at Wakaf Bahru (near Kota Bharu).
  • To/from Singapore: Comfortable overnight sleeper and somewhat misnamed daytime "express" trains also connect Singapore with Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu. Bizarrely, tickets from Singapore are twice as expensive as those to Singapore; you can save quite a bit by taking the train from Johor Bahru instead.

By bus

Long-distances buses/coaches into Malaysia run from Brunei, Indonesian Borneo, Singapore and Thailand. Please see the relevant city pages for more details.

  • Brunei – buses connect Bandar Seri Begawan with several Sarawak cities. The most popular jumping-off point is Miri.
  • Indonesia – direct buses operate between Pontianak in West Kalimantan and Kuching in Sarawak.
  • Singapore – a multitude of bus companies operate direct routes from Singapore to various destinations in Peninsular Malaysia, including Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and East Coast cities. Frequent buses make the short run between Singapore and Johor Bahru. To save costs, many people coming in from Singapore make the short hop to Johor Bahru and catch coaches to other Malaysian destinations from there.
  • Thailand – several companies operate services from Kuala Lumpur and other cities in Malaysia to Hat Yai in southern Thailand, where direct connections are available to Bangkok and many other Thai destinations.

By road

Land crossings are possible from southern Thailand and Singapore into Peninsular Malaysia, as well as from Brunei and Kalimantan (the Indonesian side of Borneo) into Sarawak. An International Drivers Permit (IDP) is required. See the respective city or state pages for more detailed information.

  • Brunei – the main crossings are at Sungai Tujoh on the Miri, Sarawak, to Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) road, and the Kuala Lurah-Tedungan checkpoint which is used for traffic travelling between Bandar Seri Begawan and Limbang in Sarawak. You can also access the Temburong district of Brunei by road from Limbang (Sungai Pandaruan) and Lawas (Trusan).
  • Indonesia – the main crossing is at the Tebedu-Entikong checkpoint on the main Kuching-Pontianak road. Various other minor border crossings used by locals are not necessarily open to foreigners.
  • Singapore – the two crossings are the Causeway which links Johor Bahru with Woodlands in Singapore, and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link which links Tanjung Kupang in Johor with Tuas in Singapore. See Johor Bahru Get in section and Singapore Get in section for more details.
  • Thailand – international checkpoints (with the Thai towns in brackets) are at Wang Kelian (Satun) and Padang Besar (Padang Besar) in Perlis, Bukit Kayu Hitam (Sadao) in Kedah, Pengkalan Hulu (Betong) in Perak, Bukit Bunga and Rantau Panjang (Sungai Kolok) in Kelantan.

By boat

Ferries connect various points in Peninsular Malaysia with Sumatra in Indonesia and southern Thailand, Sarawak with Brunei, and Sabah with East Kalimantan in Indonesia and Mindanao in the Philippines. Luxury cruises also run from Singapore and sometimes Phuket (Thailand) to Malaysia.

On foot

It is possible to walk across the Causeway between Singapore and Johor Bahru at the southern tip of Malaysia. You can also walk in/out of Thailand at Wang Kelian and Padang Besar (both in Perlis), Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah), Pengkalan Hulu (Perak) and Rantau Panjang (Kelantan).-->

Most visited destinations and attractions

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur was ranked the 6th most-visited city in the world on the Mastercard Destination Cities Index in 2019. Since the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and cultural events, including the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championships, 1998 Commonwealth Games, 2001 Southeast Asian Games, and 2017 Southeast Asian Games. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers which have since become an iconic symbol of Malaysian development. Kuala Lumpur is well connected with neighboring urban metro regions such as Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley via the rapidly expanding Klang Valley Integrated Transit System.

Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley

There are many tourist attractions outside of the city, spread across Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area which has hosted various major national and international events, from man-made attractions to natural attractions such as mountainous landscapes, hills, and rice fields.

Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, and Bukit Tinggi

These three places are hill station located in the Titiwangsa Mountains, Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia, at to elevation. It was primary tourist attraction in the state, especially Genting Highlands, a hill resort where casinos and theme parks are situated and where gambling is permitted.

Desaru, Johor Bahru District, Kukup

Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor, it was the world's 39th most visited city by international tourists, according to Euromonitor International in 2019, as well as the second most visited city in the nation, after Kuala Lumpur. Known as the gateway to Singapore, the primary visitors of this border city are from Singapore and Indonesia, majority of them come here for day trips owing to its cheaper exchange rates. Many of them also pay visit to the state as part of the medical tourism initiative. Johor Zoo is known as the oldest zoo in Malaysia, with history hails back before the independence of Malaysia, it will also feature night safari in 2025. The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is the world's first glass temple and the only one in Malaysia.

West of Johor Bahru, Legoland Malaysia Resort is the first Legoland theme park in Asia, and the sixth in the world. Kukup Island is also the world's second largest uninhabited mangrove island and is listed as a “Wetland of International Importance” under the Ramsar Convention 1971, thus attracting many tourists and researchers. Tanjung Piai is the location of the 'Southernmost Tip of Mainland Eurasia', and is one of the most visited places and national parks in Johor.

To the east coast of Johor, Desaru is known to host many 5-star luxurious integrated resorts, water park and a prestige beach area. It was also listed among the world's 100 greatest places to visit by Time (magazine) in 2021, the only destination in Malaysia in this ranking.

Historical states of Penang and Malacca

Both two cities and states is the country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 7 July 2008.

Malacca

Malacca City is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca. It is the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, it is located along the Maritime Silk Road having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The economy of Malacca City is largely based on tourism. Among the tourist attractions in Malacca City are Porta de Santiago, Jonker Walk, Little India, Portuguese Settlement, Stadthuys, Maritime Museum, Christ Church, Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum, Taming Sari Tower and Malacca River Cruise with evening cruises along the Malacca River.

There are also the Melaka Wonderland, a 9.2-hectares wide water theme park and resort in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, which features 16 attractions. Not far away, Malaysia Heritage Studios, a cultural theme park which was divided into two sections – the Mini Malaysia section, showcases the traditional houses from every state in Malaysia and the Mini ASEAN section, showcases the traditional houses from every member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Penang

  • The capital city of Penang is George Town. It was well-known for its diversified cultural history, historic sites, and street art scene. The Penang Island City Council has officially identified 3,642 heritage buildings inside the UNESCO-demarcated zone. Shophouses sit alongside Anglo-Indian bungalows, mosques, temples, churches, and European-style administrative and commercial complexes, shaping the city's multicultural framework. Among the landmarks within the zone that feature various Asian architectural styles are the Khoo Kongsi, Kapitan Keling Mosque and Sri Mahamariamman Temple. Elsewhere in the city, the influence of Siamese and Burmese cultures can be seen at places of worship like Wat Chayamangkalaram, Dhammikarama Burmese Temple and Kek Lok Si. Gurney Drive along Gurney Bay it is also popular places for chills and famous for the street cuisine at the seafront's hawker centre.
  • Batu Ferringhi is Penang's popular beach destination, home to several five-star hotels, resorts and a 4-km stretch of white sandy beaches with the varied water activities, including parasailing, jet-skiing and even windsurfing. Another major highlight here is the night market, shops and restaurants.
  • Penang Hill is a hill resort stands above sea level comprising a group of peaks near the center of Penang Island, Malaysia. It is located within the Air Itam suburb, 9 km (5.6 mi) west of the center of George Town. The top of Flagstaff Hill, the most developed tourist area, is accessible via the Penang Hill Railway from its base station at Hill Railway Station Road, transporting over a million visitors to the top of Penang Hill . Penang Hill is part of Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO as the third Biosphere Reserve in Malaysia listed in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
  • Teluk Bahang is home to several tourist attractions, located 13.6 km (8.5 mi) west of the city centre near the northwestern tip of Penang Island, which include forest reserves, ecotourism sites and theme parks, such as Penang National Park, Teluk Bahang Forest Eco Park, Entopia Butterfly Farm, and ESCAPE Adventure Play theme park, including ESCAPE Adventure Play also the ESCAPE Water Play consists of a variety of aquatic attractions and swimming pools, including the world's longest water slide.

Langkawi Islands

The duty-free island and an archipelago of 99 islands (plus five small islands visible only at low tide in the Strait of Malacca) located some 30 km off the coast of northwestern Kedah, Malaysia. This tourist island can be reached via Langkawi International Airport or ferry from Kuala Kedah. On 1 June 2007, Langkawi Island was given a World Geopark status by UNESCO. Three of its main conservation areas in Langkawi Geopark are Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest park (Island of the Pregnant Maiden Lake). These three parks are the most popular tourism area within Langkawi Geopark.

  • The Langkawi Cable Car and Sky Bridge is one of the main attractions on the island to enjoy the view of the entire island group and UNESCO's national park. The Sky Bridge can be reached by first taking the cable car to the Top Station, where an inclined lift called SkyGlide takes visitors from the Top Station down to the bridge. The bridge deck is above sea level at the peak of Mount Mat Cincang.
  • The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park is a mangrove forest park which consists of limestone caves and three interconnected river estuaries that stretch approximately 10 km from Kisap village to Tanjung Rhu. Bats, crocodiles, eagles, kingfishers, monitor lizards, macaques, otters, snakes and tree crabs are some of the most commonly found wildlife in the park.
  • Eagle Square or Dataran Lang in Malay is a 12-meter high sculpture in the shape of a sea-eagle perched on rocks in pre-flight pose. It is located on the waterfront of Kuah near the jetty. The eagle is the emblem of Langkawi Island as its name is thought by some to have been derived from the Malay word for eagle. The square is a landscaped area with ponds, terraces and bridges.
  • MAHA Tower is a 2-storey tower with a height of 138 meters in downtown of Kuah, it is the latest addition, also part of the Langkawi City's project. The tower is approximately 1.40 km from Dataran Lang.
  • Langkawi Legend Park is a park in the downtown of Kuah. The park spreads over an area of 50 hectares with a total of 17 sculptures telling legends and myths about Langkawi from prehistory until modern times. There are also 4 artificial lakes and a beach.
  • Durian Perangin Waterfall is a cascading waterfall located on the northeastern side of Langkawi Island, Malaysia. It is named after the durian trees that grow in the surrounding rainforest. The waterfall consists of multiple tiers, with natural pools at the base of each cascade.

Malaysian Borneo

Sabah

  • Kota Kinabalu is often known as KK both in Malaysia and internationally. It is a major tourist destination and a gateway for travellers visiting Sabah and Borneo. It is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies to its west and Mount Kinabalu, which gave the city its name, is located to its east. There are many other tourist attractions in and around the city, such as KK Waterfront which features restaurants, cafes, pubs, and a nightclub. Kota Kinabalu is also one of the major industrial and commercial centres of East Malaysia. These two factors combine to make KK one of the fastest-growing cities in Malaysia.
  • The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park is a group of five islands of Gaya, Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi and Sulug. It is located between 3 and 8 km from the city. The ferry station for visitors traveling to the islands is located in the city center of Kota Kinabalu, and is also the departure point for visitors staying at Manukan Island Resort, Gayana Resort, or Bunga Raya Resort.
  • Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of , it is the third-highest peak of an island on Earth, and 20th most prominent mountain in the world. The mountain is located in Ranau district, West Coast Division of Sabah or approximately 60 km from the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. It is protected as Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most important biological sites in the world with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna, including 326 bird and around 100 mammal species, and over 110 land snail species.
  • Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is located about 25 kilometres west of Sandakan in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. The centre opened in 1964 as the first official orangutan rehabilitation project for rescued orphaned baby orangutans from logging sites, plantations, illegal hunting or kept as pets. The orphaned orangutans are trained to survive again in the wild and are released as soon as they are ready. The sanctuary is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve which covers an area of , much of which is virgin rainforest. The reserve has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. Today around 60 to 80 orangutans are living free in the reserve.
  • Diving tours on the islands around Sabah, such as Sipadan, Ligitan or and Bohey Dulang Island are several famous islands for the beauty of their underwater nature. It is located in the Celebes Sea and Sulu Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. Especially the island of Sipadan, it was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 400 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. Frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan: green and hawksbill turtles (which mate and nest there), enormous schools of barracuda in tornado-like formations as well as large schools of big-eye trevally, and bumphead parrotfish. Pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks also visit Sipadan. A turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island, formed by an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become lost and drown before finding the surface. Visiting Sipadan Island requires a permit issued by Sabah Parks, a Sabah Government agency. Since 2019, there are 178 permits available each day.
  • Mabul Island is a small resort island in the southeastern coast of Semporna District, Sabah. The two main settlements on the island are Mabul and Mus village. After the 1990s, Mabul gained popularity with scuba divers due to its proximity to Sipadan island. The island is roughly 15 km north of Sipadan, 0.2km<sup>2</sup> in size, and around 2–3m above sea level.
  • The Tip of Borneo is the northernmost tip of Kudat Peninsula, Borneo located in Kudat District. The tip marks the meeting point of the South China Sea and Sulu Sea. The tip is one of Sabah's popular tourist attractions. Within the area, there is a park-like grounds with a Malaysian flag pole and a large bronze globe which opened since 2004. The bronze globe marks the location of the Borneo Island tip at latitude 7 degrees north and longitude 116 degrees east with a map featuring the island embossed in bronze and laid on a flat surface at an angle with inscriptions to mark the tip. Over the years, several infrastructure and public amenities have been erected at the site which including a public rest area with a café, souvenir shop and washrooms. In the park-like grounds, it has become one of the destination to view sunsets and full moons.

Sarawak

Others

Beside the main cities, there are other towns and places in Malaysia offering some special tourist attraction. Such as in Taiping for their landscape and local attraction. Teluk Intan for their Leaning tower. Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Bukit Tinggi in Pahang and Kundasang in Sabah for a cool climate. Muar in Johor is famous for its food. Miri is the official tourism-city and resort city of Sarawak and Sibu in Sarawak is famous for its landscape and parks.

Historical structures and buildings

Hill stations

Islands and beaches

Malaysia has several tropical islands. Some of the islands in Malaysia are:

National parks and nature reserves

Shopping districts

Skyscrapers and towers

Sports

Theme parks

Transportation

Zoos

Other places of interest

Medical tourism

Medical tourism is popular in Malaysia, with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council reporting an arrival of 1.3 million foreign patients in 2019, almost double from 2014 figure with around 882,000 foreign patient. Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, a government agency with the aim of promoting medical tourism, was launched in 2009 as an initiative by the Ministry of Health. The established private healthcare facilities supported by internationally recognized doctors and trained medical staff have made Malaysia a top destination for medical travel. In 2019, Malaysia attracted 1.3 million international healthcare tourists who generated over $500 million in hospital receipts.

Statistics

Tourist arrivals

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In 2016, Malaysia recorded 26,757,392 tourist arrivals, a growth of 4.0% compared to 25,721,251 in 2015. The table lists the top 15 arrivals to Malaysia by their origin countries.

Past foreign tourist arrivals

See also

References

External links