Malaysia's September arrivals up 41%

Emily Pacey

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Malaysia's tourist arrivals in September increased by 41% on the previous year, according to Tourism Malaysia

Over 1.3m people visited Malaysia this September compared with 943,526 in September 2003.

The figures, which suggest the country's tourism industry has recovered from the downturn caused by SARS and the Iraq war, were boosted mostly by regional traffic. Nearly two-thirds of travellers visited from Singapore, whilst arrivals from west Asia, including the UAE, rose by half to 16,079.

Tourism Malaysia said that the government's efforts to attract visitors from west Asia and China should help to maintain the growth in visitor numbers.

"A number of promotional campaigns, particularly in West Asia, India, China and other key markets, should boost arrivals in the remainder of the year," the tourist authority said.