PETALING JAYA, May 28: Malaysia is setting an ambitious yet attainable target of welcoming 45 million international visitors in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (TMM2026), says Tourism Malaysia Director-General Manoharan Periasamy.
This optimistic goal is grounded in strong performance, with over 38 million tourist arrivals recorded last year. The momentum continues this year — 6.7 million arrivals were registered by February 2025, reflecting a staggering 31.3% increase from the 5.1 million visitors during the same period in 2024.
“The surge is mainly driven by tourists from Singapore, China, and India. Looking at this trend, we are highly confident that achieving 45 million visitors is not a far-fetched dream,” Manoharan told reporters after an industry engagement session in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Tourism Malaysia is now actively rallying state governments and tourism operators to collaborate in making TMM2026 a national success.
During the Kelantan session, Tourism Malaysia highlighted several key incentives including:
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Aviation and Charter Grants
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Tourism Sector Support Grants
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Travel Promotion Incentives
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Cultural Sector Support Funds
He noted that Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan have shown lower engagement in applying for these funds compared to Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.
“We urge all tourism players to seize these opportunities to boost local tourism promotion and showcase their unique cultural and artistic heritage,” he said.
