KUALA LUMPUR (May 13): Malaysia recorded 10.65 million international visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2026 (1Q2026), up 5.4% from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Singapore remained Malaysia’s largest source market, accounting for nearly half of total arrivals between January and March, with 5.14 million visitors, up 3.9% year-on-year (y-o-y).

China posted the strongest growth among major markets, with arrivals surging more than 25% y-o-y to 1.41 million, followed by Indonesia at 1.05 million, Thailand at 612,040 and Brunei at 375,937.

Australia also recorded double-digit growth of 11.4% y-o-y to 137,856 visitors.

Tourism is Malaysia’s third-largest contributor to gross domestic product, after manufacturing and commodities. Under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, the country is targeting 47 million international tourist arrivals and RM147.1 billion in tourism receipts this year.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted fuel supplies and forced airlines to reroute flights, leading to higher operating costs, increased airfares and flight cancellations, particularly towards end-March.

Despite the headwinds, Tiong said overall performance remained encouraging, with three regions recording declines in arrivals while six posted growth compared with a year earlier.

By region, Asean arrivals rose 3.1% y-o-y to 7.49 million, while East Asia climbed more than 19% to 1.81 million. European arrivals increased more than 9% to 500,284, marking the first time the region surpassed the half-a-million mark in the first quarter.

Among European markets, Türkiye posted the strongest growth at 77.3%, followed by Ukraine at 35.3% and Poland at 23.7%.

In contrast, Middle East arrivals fell more than 27% y-o-y to 28,272, making it the weakest-performing region during the quarter.

Meanwhile, Malaysia added 26 new international routes during the period, comprising 20 scheduled services and six charter routes linking China and Hong Kong with Malaysia.

Tiong said 12 airlines introduced an additional 95 international flights per week during the quarter, while Xiamen Airlines increased its Nanjing–Kuala Lumpur service to daily flights in March.

He added that the government had stepped up engagement with international tourism players, including at the Asean Tourism Forum 2026 in Cebu and the ITB Berlin travel trade exhibition in March.

German flag carrier Lufthansa has also confirmed it will launch direct Frankfurt–Kuala Lumpur flights beginning Oct 25, which Tiong said would further strengthen Malaysia’s access to the European market.