PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's domestic tourism sector recorded significant growth in 2024, with total domestic visitor expenditure reaching RM106.7bil, a 25.6% increase from RM84.9bil in 2023, according to the Malaysia Domestic Tourism Survey released by the Statistics Department of Malaysia on Thursday (June 19).
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth was driven by higher spending from tourists and day-trippers, registering growth rates of 20.6% and 33.8%, respectively.
"The number of domestic visitors rose by 21.7% to 260.1 million in 2024, compared to 213.7 million the previous year.
"The increase in domestic travel activities was supported by seasonal factors in the first quarter, including Chinese New Year celebrations, Ramadan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri preparations and school holidays, which contributed to higher movement and tourism-related spending," he said.
Mohd Uzir said as for accommodation preferences, 60.4% of tourists stayed with relatives or friends.
In terms of transportation modes, 97.6% of domestic visitors used land transport, while air travel accounted for only 2.1%, he said.
The proportion of tourists opting for paid accommodation increased, with hotels accounting for 21.7% of overnight stays, while homestay usage rose from 6.7% in 2023 to 8.6% in 2024, he added.
"Visiting relatives and friends remained the primary purpose of domestic travel, contributing 34.6% of total trips in 2024. In contrast, shopping-related trips declined to 27.6% in 2024 from 32.6% the previous year.
"However, shopping remained the largest expenditure category, accounting for 37.4% of total domestic tourism spending, followed by food and beverages at 16.2% and vehicle fuel purchases at 12.7%," he said.
Mohd Uzir said Selangor was the most visited state, attracting 34.5 million domestic visitors, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 27 million and Perak with 21.8 million domestic visitors.
"Overall, Malaysia's domestic tourism sector in 2024 demonstrated robust and rapid growth, driven by an increase in visitor numbers, higher spending and evolving travel patterns.
"While visiting relatives remains dominant, growing interest in recreation-based tourism, programmes and experiences reflects a dynamic and diverse market," he said. - Bernama
