Asia's most loved country sees 31% surge in Jan-Feb foreign arrivals

By Hoang Vu April 13, 2025 | 07:39 pm PT

People walk and take pictures along the Saloma Link Bridge in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 19, 2020. Photo by AFP

Malaysia, named Asia's most loved country, welcomed 6.7 million foreign tourists in the first two months of this year, marking a 31.3% year-on-year increase.

This figure also represents a 14.5% rise compared to pre-Covid levels in 2019, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, as reported by The Star.

Singapore continued to be the largest source of visitors to Malaysia with 3.1 million arrivals, followed by China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brunei.

Last year, Malaysia recorded 38 million tourist arrivals including excursionists, a notable 31.1% increase from the 29 million recorded in 2023.

Malaysia was named Asia's most loved country in 2024 by the American finance website Insider Monkey. To remain competitive with Thailand, Malaysia has extended its visa-free entry policy for Chinese and Indian travelers until 2026.

Thailand received 9.5 million foreign arrivals in the first quarter of this year, a modest year-on-year increase of 1.91%, as safety concerns and the impact of the Myanmar earthquake weighed on tourism.

Vietnam welcomed over 6 million in the same period.