Foreign tourist spending up 63pct to RM26.98 billion in first nine months

 

State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Noor (second from left) launched the programme. STR/SHARIFAH MAHSINAH ABDULLAH

KOTA BARU: Spending by foreign tourists in Malaysia reached RM26.98 billion during the first nine months of this year, an increase of 63 percent compared to the same period last year.

Tourism Malaysia Eastern Region Director Mohd Azizul Arif Yahaya said Malaysia registered RM16.56 billion in spending by foreign tourists during the same period in 2023.

Mohd Azizul attributed the increase to the success of the Malaysia Year End Sale (MYES), which was the main contributor to the country's total tourism income.

"The MYES segment contributed 36.8 percent of the country's total tourism income of RM73.2 billion recorded during this period.

"I am very confident that this figure will continue to increase in the coming year, given the good response to this programme, especially after Tourism Malaysia re-organised the Malaysia Mega Sale 2024 campaign," he said at the launch of the Midnight Sale at Aeon Mall here last night.

The programme was launched by State Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Heritage Committee Chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Noor.

Azizul said a total of seven MYES events were being held throughout the country, with two of them in Kelantan and Terengganu.

"One of the main reasons for organising this programme is to encourage international tourists, especially those from neighbouring countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei, to take this opportunity not only to shop but also to spend the night in Malaysia.

"This initiative focuses on tourists from Singapore and Thailand, with Tourism Malaysia hoping that these tourists can extend their stay in the country, including staying overnight in hotels around Johor Baru and Kota Baru," he added.

For 2025, he said Tourism Malaysia plans to expand this event to more shopping malls throughout the East Coast states, aiming to make the Midnight Sale or Year-End Sale one of the most awaited annual tourism events.

-nst online.