Features : Opportunities Emerge As Travel Disruptions Test Tourism In Malaysia
April 9, 2026
BERNAMA
Barely having recovered from the travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia’s tourism industry is now facing disruption from the war in West Asia, triggered by the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the global oil passes through. Reports have come out daily of flight delays and other disruptions, and visitors cancelling their bookings, as well as the rising price of oil and Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill ballooning to RM4 billion a month.
Under Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026), the government has set a target of 47 million international tourist arrivals and RM329 billion in revenue. VM2026 has had a strong start, with March’s number of international visitors showing an increase, from 2.76 million arrivals during the same period last year to 2.8 million this year. Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was quoted as saying recently that the increase in tourists was supported by strong demand from major Asian markets.
BERNAMA
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