KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's domestic tourism recorded its best performance in 2024 with 260.1 million visitors, up 21.7 percent year-on-year, official data showed Monday.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that in tandem with the rise in visitor numbers, Malaysia's domestic tourism expenditure reached 107.2 billion ringgit (24.18 billion U.S. dollars), reflecting a year-on-year growth of 26.3 percent.
For the fourth quarter of 2024, Malaysia's domestic tourism sector recorded 66.8 million visitors, showing a year-on-year increase of 21.4 percent. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the number of domestic visitors also saw a modest rise of 0.8 percent.
Meanwhile, the domestic tourism expenditure during the quarter surged by 21.9 percent, totaling 29 billion ringgit in the same period. Quarter-on-quarter, the quarterly tourism expenditure recorded a 13.4 percent increase, further underscoring the sector's robust growth trajectory.
"The growth of Malaysia's domestic tourism is expected to continue, driven by ongoing consumer confidence, robust travel demand, and the incoming festival celebration," said DOSM.
"As the sector continues to expand, its contribution to Malaysia's economic development remains critical, reinforcing the importance of domestic tourism as a cornerstone of the nation's broader economic strategy," it added. ■
