PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's domestic tourism sector continued its upward trajectory last year with visitor expenditure rising 13.6% to RM121.3bil from RM106.7bil in 2024, according to the Domestic Tourism Survey 2025 released by the Statistics Department.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase was driven by higher spending among both tourists and excursionists, which grew 14.6% and 12.2%, respectively.
Tourists remained the largest contributors to domestic tourism spending, accounting for 59.5% of total visitor expenditure.
The stronger spending trend coincided with an increase in travel activity, with the number of domestic visitors rising 11.5% to 290.1 million last year compared with 260.1 million in 2024.
The average length of stay also edged up to 2.56 nights from 2.49 the preceding year.
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"The increase reflects a stronger propensity among travellers to participate in domestic tourism activities and spend longer periods at destinations within the country," Uzir said in a statement on Tuesday (June 16).
He attributed the sector's strong performance to heightened travel demand during major festive and holiday periods, including Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Christmas and school holidays.
State-level tourism campaigns under various initiatives also stimulated interstate travel and spending, he noted.
In addition, cultural and tourism events such as the Kaamatan Festival in Sabah and Gawai Dayak celebrations in Sarawak contributed to increased visitor movements and tourism-related economic activities.
Large-scale concerts, festivals, exhibitions and sporting tournaments also encouraged domestic travel, while Malaysia's hosting of several Asean meetings and related programmes boosted business and event-related travel nationwide, Uzir added.
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In terms of travel patterns, land transport remained the preferred mode of travel, accounting for 97.5% of domestic trips last year.
For accommodation, staying with relatives and friends continued to be the most popular choice, representing 56.2% of domestic tourists.
However, paid accommodation increased to 43.8% last year from 39.6% in 2024, with hotels remaining the leading option at 23.1%.
By state or territory, Selangor remained the country's most visited destination with 36.4 million visitors, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 35.1 million and Perak with 23.6 million.
Uzir said the growth in visitor arrivals, spending and length of stay showed that domestic tourism continued to play an important role in supporting economic growth and local development. – Bernama
