A view of the skyline of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, May 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Malaysia received 26.1 million foreign arrivals between January and November, making it Southeast Asia’s most popular destination this year, data showed.
Thailand came in second with 24.6 million arrivals during the same period, followed by Singapore with 12.4 million and Vietnam with 11.2 million, according to data collected from tourism ministries of countries in the region.
Other Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia, recorded fewer than 10 million foreign arrivals at different time intervals.
At the end of November, the Philippines recorded only 4.6 million foreign tourists, while Indonesia and Cambodia welcomed 9.5 million and 4.4 million, respectively, in October.
This year, Southeast Asian countries have raced to attract foreign tourists with flexible immigration policies.
Since December 1, Malaysia has allowed visa-free entry for 30 days to citizens of mainland China and India, in a similar move in Thailand.
Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said he hoped tourist arrivals would continue to increase after the implementation of the 30-day visa waiver for travelers from China and India. The star reported.
In 2019, Malaysia recorded 26.1 million international visitors, before falling 83.4% to 4.33 million in 2020 – the year the Covid-19 outbreak first emerged.
The following year, this number dropped further to just 130,000 before rebounding to 10.1 million in 2022.
