Malaysia Breaks Tourism Record With 10.6M Arrivals in Q1/26

By Danial Martinus • 14 May 2026 in News

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

Malaysia welcomed 10.6 million international visitors in the first quarter of this year, setting a new record for the period. It’s also the second consecutive year in which the country has surpassed 10 million arrivals in Q1.

Recording approximately 10,647,200 international visitors between January and March 2026, it’s roughly a 5.4% increase from last year, which saw 10,102,972 arrivals in the same period.

Surpassing last year’s record by more than half a million visitors

It’s pretty interesting to see such high numbers, especially when you compare them to pre-COVID arrival stats. Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing says Malaysia had never crossed the 10 million (Q1) mark prior to 2025.

For context, in the first quarter of 2019, the country welcomed just 9,011,670 international visitors. So what exactly is pulling more tourists to Malaysia now?

According to Tiong, Chinese New Year travel demand was particularly strong this year, with most arrivals coming in from China, in addition to easier access thanks to expanded flight connectivity to Malaysia.

In February 2026 alone, Malaysia recorded its highest-ever tourist arrival figure, reaching 3,472,557 visitors. This, Tiong says, was the first time monthly arrivals surpassed the 3 million mark.

Though China was the single biggest contributor to international footfall in the country, it certainly wasn’t the only one whose citizens chose Malaysia as their holiday destination. People visiting from Australia saw double-digit growth as well, rising 11.4%.

Overall, the region that contributed the most was naturally Southeast Asia, with Vietnam and Indonesia being the only countries with declining growth. And because of tensions in West Asia brought on by the US and Israel, visitors from Iran’s neighbours saw a steep 27.2% year-on-year decline.

In Europe, 15 of the 16 key markets there recorded growth, with Germany being the exception, falling 10.2%.

But Tiong says the numbers are still very encouraging in the grand scheme of things. 20 newly scheduled international routes began flying in the first quarter, totalling 95 additional flights per week to Malaysia. Increased charter flights connecting Malaysia to China and Hong Kong also helped greatly.

Plus, we’ll also be seeing the return of direct Frankfurt-Kuala Lumpur flights later this year in October. German carrier Lufthansa previously suspended the service back in March 2016.

It’s no surprise, then, that major cities have seen an influx of foreign tourists, more than recent memory serves.