Asia's most loved country receives over 10 million foreign visitors in Q1

Malaysia's top tourist arrivals were from Singapore with 4.9 million visitors, followed by China (1.12 million), Indonesia (1.08 million), Thailand (591,000) and Brunei (363,000), according to statistics from Tourism Malaysia.

The first quarter saw China surpass Indonesia to become the second largest source of visitors to Malaysia, driven by relaxed visa policies.

Malaysia, named Asia's most loved country in 2024 by the American finance website Insider Monkey, introduced a 30-day visa-free entry policy for Chinese and Indians citizens in December 2023 and has extended the scheme until 2026.

The Southeast Asian country recently announced the extension of its visa exemption for Chinese travelers for an additional five years, with the possibility of extending it for another five years until 2036, according to Bernama.

In 2024, Malaysia welcomed 3.29 million Chinese tourists, an increase from the previous year, making China the third-largest source of visitors after Singapore and Indonesia.