KUALA LUMPUR: Travel activities provided a stronger boost to Malaysia’s coffers in 2025, with a net inflow of RM49.2bil, up from RM37.4bil in 2024, driven by robust inbound tourism, according to the Finance Ministry.
Spending on outbound travel increased to RM61.4bil in 2025 from RM57.9bil in 2024. This was more than offset by higher receipts from foreign tourists and visitors, which rose to RM110.6bil from RM95.3bil over the same period.
“Overall, travel activities recorded a net inflow of RM49.2bil in 2025, up from RM37.4bil in 2024,” the ministry said in a written reply to Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH–Balik Pulau) on Tuesday (March 3).
It said inbound tourism remained strong, with tourist arrivals and same-day visitors rising to 42.2 million in 2025 compared with 38 million in 2024, even as outbound travel declined to 66.6 million from 70.2 million over the same period.
The ministry added that a stronger ringgit has made overseas travel, including for umrah, relatively cheaper and could encourage higher spending abroad.
The ringgit appreciated 10.1% against the US dollar in 2025 – the strongest performance among regional peers – and continued to strengthen this year, gaining a further 4.09% to RM3.89 against the greenback as at Feb 24, 2026.
It said the currency’s gains reflect both an improved global environment and healthy domestic fundamentals, including structural reforms, efforts to maintain fiscal sustainability and continued investment inflows.
Inbound tourism is expected to remain resilient in 2026, supported by increased flight capacity, more convenient visa facilities and stepped-up promotion ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the ministry said.
