Tourism
From The Report: Malaysia 2012
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With nearly 25m arrivals and $19bn in revenues in 2011, Malaysia’s tourism sector is a major contributor to employment and economic growth. Visitors are attracted by Malaysia’s cultural diversity, natural beauty, historic landmarks, and of course, the gleaming shopping malls of Kuala Lumpur. The country also offers a strong value proposition, although tourism operators are finding this something of an Achilles heel nowadays as they try to entice visitors to spend more money. Tourism promoters are hoping the “Luxury Malaysia” campaign, launched in 2012, changes these attitudes. Malaysia is also focused on attracting more Muslim travellers and improving the country’s ecotourism offerings.

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Overview

One niche at a time: Government-backed development plans continue, building on existing competitive strengths
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Over the past decade Malaysia’s tourism sector has become an increasingly important contributor to the economy. In 2011 the country welcomed 24.7m visitors and pulled in RM58.3bn ($18.8bn) in tourism receipts over the course of the year, up from just 12.7m visitors and RM24.2bn ($7.8bn) in receipts in 2002, according to data from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), the government’s sector promotion agency. The industry’s rapid growth in recent years is primarily the result of a…

Analysis

A taste for the finer things: Policies to boost visitor spending focus on the luxury market
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Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the government’s long-term development strategy, the tourism industry is set to bring in RM168bn ($54.2bn) in revenues by 2020, three times as much as in 2010. While a substantial percentage of this new income is expected to come from a steadily increasing number of new visitors over the next eight years, the country is also working to attract more big spenders. A NEW BRAND: With this goal in mind, in late February 2012, Ng Yen Yen, Malaysia’s…

Analysis

A cut above: With the medical tourism segment growing, efforts are under way to diversify source markets
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Over the past five years Malaysia has become a major destination for foreigners seeking medical treatment. In 2011 over 578,000 foreign patients sought treatment in Malaysian hospitals and clinics, spending RM511m ($164.8m), up almost 19% on foreign health care expenditure in 2010. At a conference in Kuala Lumpur (KL) in July 2012, Liow Tiong Lai, the minister of health, announced that medical tourism receipts were expected to top RM600m ($193.6m) in 2012. The government and the private sector…

Analysis

No place like home: Domestic travel is becoming increasingly popular
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While it has traditionally focused on attracting visitors from international markets such as Australia, Europe and North America, over the past decade Malaysia’s tourism industry has benefitted from rapidly expanding domestic receipts as well. The increase in travel among a substantial percentage of the country’s population can be attributed to a number of factors. Domestic tourism got a major boost in 1999, for example, when the government introduced the five-day workweek, as many citizens…