Malaysia is on track to surpass its target of 16.1 million international tourist arrivals this year, with Tourism Malaysia Director-General Datuk Dr. Ammar Abdul Ghapar predicting that the country could welcome up to 18 million visitors by the end of the year.
Ammar said the positive growth in tourist arrivals is being driven by a number of factors, including the increase in airline frequency, expansion of chartered operating flights, and the allure of year-end holidays.
“We are very optimistic that we can achieve our target of 18 million tourist arrivals this year,” Ammar said. “We will be announcing soon the incentives that will be given to chartered flight operators in the country to boost tourism.”
Ammar also said that Malaysia cannot depend on scheduled flights alone to boost tourism and that the government is committed to providing incentives to chartered flight operators to encourage more tourists to visit the country.
Malaysia initially targeted 16.1 million international tourist arrivals in 2023. However, the country has already welcomed 4.5 million tourists in the first quarter, achieving almost 28% target, a positive sign that the target could be exceeded. If this growth continues, Malaysia could see up to 18 million tourists this year.
The government is optimistic that Malaysia can achieve its tourism target of 18 million visitors in 2023. With the right incentives in place, chartered flight operators can play a key role in helping the country reach its goal.
Source: News Strait Times
