Over 10m tourists from Singapore arrived in Malaysia in first half of 2025, says minister
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A total of 10,288,256 tourists from Singapore visited Malaysia from January to June 2025.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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KUALA LUMPUR - Tourists from Singapore, Indonesia, China and Thailand made up the highest number of tourists who visited Malaysia from January to June 2025, said Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing.
He said a total of 10,288,256 tourists from Singapore visited Malaysia during this period, marking a 22.5 per cent increase compared with 2024.
There was an 8.2 per cent rise in the number of tourists from Indonesia, with 2,197,288 in 2025 compared with 2,031,111 in 2024.
Tourists from China recorded the highest increase, with 2,178,857 between January to June 2025, compared with 1,607,413 during the same period in 2024, a 35.6 per cent rise.
“Our advertisement and promotion efforts are not solely focused on one market but instead tailored according to the potential and size of the market,” Mr Tiong said when winding up debates on the 13th Malaysia Plan on Aug 19.
“Promotional activities will be focused on digital and social media platforms, especially in high-potential markets.”
He said his ministry also focuses on the Muslim-friendly tourism segment, noting its potential.
This includes efforts carried out through the Islamic Tourism Centre, aimed at developing and promoting Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality.
He said the ministry was committed to developing community-based tourism through homestay experience programmes.
“Here, locals can be trained to... empower their local economies and introduce their culture and heritage to both local and foreign tourists,” he said, adding that the state government must be proactive in identifying communities that can be developed. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
