KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s domestic tourists rose 33.7% year-on-year to 48.6 million visitors in the first quarter of 2023, official data showed today.
The Statistics Department (DoSM) said in a statement that for quarter-on-quarter comparison, the domestic visitors increased 3.9% compared with the fourth quarter of 2022.
Meanwhile, domestic tourism expenditure for the first quarter stood at RM19.2 billion, jumped 47% year-on-year, and rose 4.6% quarter-on-quarter.
DoSM data also showed that domestic tourism performance in Malaysia experienced a notable recovery in 2022, with a total spending of RM64.1 billion, soaring 248.1% from RM18.4 billion in 2021.
The number of domestic visitors in 2022 also surged 160.1% to reach 171.6 million compared with the 66 million recorded in 2021.
“After enduring nearly two years of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, the resumption of domestic tourism brings a sense of relief to the people of Malaysia and its economy,” said DoSM. – Bernama, June 26, 2023