Johor set to meet target of 20 million foreign visitors

Sharil Nizam (third from right, dark grey shirt) and Kota Iskandar rep Datuk Pandak Ahmad (fourth from right) at the welcoming ceremony of the new ferry service from Batam Harbour, Indonesia at the Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal.

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is on track to achieve its target of welcoming 20 million foreign visitors in the next two years in line with the Visit Johor Year 2026 (VJY2026) agenda.

Tourism Johor director Sharil Nizam Abdul Rahim said this is based on last year’s achievement of more than 16 million foreign visitors to the state, with close to eight million staying in Johor.

“This figure is based on the data provided by the Immigration Department and our hotel associations, which is quite huge.

“The majority of the visitors are from Singapore and Indonesia, followed by other foreign countries... (they) visited and stayed at some of the tourism products we have.

“We expect this number will continue to grow in line with VJY2026 based on the continuous promotion and support from the Johor government,” he told reporters after a welcoming ceremony for the new Putri Anggreni 07 ferry service from Batam Harbour, Indonesia, at Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal here on Tuesday (March 5).

The programme was officiated by Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad.