KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is on track to exceed its target of attracting more than 40 million tourist arrivals this year, supported by a packed calendar of major international events in October that is expected to boost visitor numbers and strengthen tourism as the country’s second-largest source of income, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said.
Nga said marquee events such as the Formula One Grand Prix, Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon, Le Tour de Langkawi and other international events scheduled for October would provide strong momentum for the Visit Malaysia campaign.
“I am confident that with the organisation of the Formula One Grand Prix, the Standard Chartered International Marathon Run, Le Tour de Langkawi and other events in October, we will not only achieve our target of more than 40 million visitors, but exceed it, thus making tourism the second-largest income contributor for our country,” he told reporters at ARCHIDEX 2026 and the ASEAN Real Estate Conference (AREC) 2026 today.
Nga said Malaysia had already achieved a strong start to the year, recording 10.7 million international tourist arrivals in the first quarter, making it the most visited country in Asia by international arrivals during the period.
“Based on the first quarter, Malaysia is now the most popular country in Asia. For the first time in history, in terms of international tourist arrivals, Malaysia recorded 10.7 million visitors in the first three months of this year, enabling us to surpass Thailand.
“This is the first time in history, and in terms of tourist arrivals, Malaysia is now the most popular country in Asia,” he said.
He urged Malaysians to play their part in sustaining the country’s tourism momentum by maintaining cleanliness, preserving the nation’s culture of courtesy and hospitality, and safeguarding political stability.
“We call on all Malaysians to do several things. First, maintain cleanliness so that when tourists visit, they will see a clean and prosperous Malaysia.
“Secondly, we must continue to uphold our culture of courtesy and good manners so that tourists feel welcomed and will want to return.
“Thirdly, we must ensure that our country remains politically stable. Political stability is essential because when the country is stable, tourists are confident, investors will also come, and ultimately everyone will benefit,” he said.
Nga said October would be an exceptionally busy period for Malaysia, with the Formula One Grand Prix, Le Tour de Langkawi and the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon taking place over the same weekend from Oct 2 to Oct 4.
He said Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Sepang are expected to receive thousands of visitors during the period, adding that he had been informed by hotel associations that accommodation was already fully booked for that weekend.
Nga said Malaysia’s strategic location, strong connectivity, competitive business ecosystem and skilled workforce continued to attract both tourists and investors.
He also pointed to Malaysia’s stronger-than-expected 5.8% economic growth in the second quarter, saying the performance demonstrated the importance of political stability, policy certainty and leadership in sustaining the country’s economic momentum.
“Our strategic location, strong connectivity, competitive business ecosystem and visionary leadership, coupled with a highly skilled workforce, continue to attract investors and businesses seeking opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.
“This again shows that political stability, certainty of policy and visionary leadership are important credentials required for the country to continue to excel,” he said.
