According to the Immigration Department’s latest statistics recorded from January 1 to November 15, 2023, Singaporeans have topped the list of tourist arrivals to Malaysia, with 12,645,364 tourists visiting the country. This represents the highest number among the 26 million tourist arrivals during the specified period.
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing expressed hope that tourist arrivals would continue to increase following the implementation of the 30-day visa exemption for travelers from China and India, effective December 1.
Tiong King Sing stated, “So, we hope for the best and that we can increase the number of tourists, especially after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced visa exemptions for China and India for 30 days beginning Dec 1.”
The statistics also revealed that Indonesia had the second-highest number of tourists to Malaysia at 3,166,295, followed by Thailand (2,073,162), China (1,407,471), Brunei (904,841), and India (780,532), with tourists from other countries making up the rest.
Additionally, Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Ainu Sham Ramli announced the Rahmah Batik Sales event, launched in conjunction with the Malaysian Batik Day Celebration, aimed to offer the public the opportunity to purchase batik items for less than RM100.
She mentioned, “We will hold special offers in collaboration with batik entrepreneurs so that customers can buy more affordable batik items.”
The Malaysian Batik Day Celebration is a five-day event held from November 30 to December 4, with a targeted sales goal of RM1 million.
