Travel Industry, News and Analytics

Malaysia Shares Its 2020 Tourist Arrivals Data

Last year was hard for tourism around the world, and the latest data revealed by Malaysia only proves this. After the record year of 2019 and the total number of arrivals exceeding 26 million, Malaysia experienced a rapid drop to only 4.3 million tourist arrivals. Hotels in Kuala Lumpur and other popular destinations had to deal with a huge drop in guests and, of course, revenues.

Malaysia is not the only country that suffered from such a drastic drop in arrivals last year. According to the information published by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the decrease in arrivals in Asia and the Pacific reached 84% in 2020. ASEAN countries had a similar result. The arrivals in Singapore dropped by 85.7%, in Thailand – by 83.2%, in Vietnam and Indonesia - by 78.7% and 75% respectively.

Naturally, such a drastic drop in arrivals had a negative impact on the revenues generated by tourism. If in 2019 total tourist receipts accounted for RM86.14 billion, the 2020 tourist receipts decreased to just RM12.69 billion, featuring a decline of 85.3%. This is slightly more than the decrease in tourist arrivals (-83.4%). Furthermore, the individual per capita expenditures were falling in 2020 compared to 2019. Two years ago the average tourist spending was RM3,300 falling to RM2,928 a year later. This is a decline of 11.3%, which signifies that people are trying to save while traveling and have strict control over their expenditures. This fact is easy to understand as people had their earnings cut as well during the pandemic period.

All markets posted declines in 2020. This is true about the short-haul market where the decline in arrivals reached (83.5%), the medium-haul market (-84.7%), and the long-haul market (-79.7%). International tourists couldn’t visit Malaysia during most of 2020 even if they wanted to do this because the country’s borders closed on 18 March in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

ASEAN countries (short-haul market) were the biggest source market for Malaysia, accounting for 68.1% of tourist arrivals (2.9 million). East Asia and South Asia (medium-haul market) had a share of 20.1% or 870 thousand arrivals, and the long-haul market had the smallest share of 11.8% or 512 thousand arrivals. The top ten source countries for Malaysia are the following: Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, India, Brunei, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Vietnam.

Individual City Guides

Puebla travel guide

Nestled among four volcanoes, Puebla is a large city in east-central Mexico. Puebla is widely recognized as the “baroque cradle of Mexico”. This title is easy to understand once you arrive in the city – there are many architectural and historic landmarks of different epochs in Puebla. Without a doubt, they are incredibly popular with tourists. Scenic nature is another treasure of this Mexican city. Beautiful landscapes harmoniously frame the enchanting look of Puebla. Mexicans often call … Read further

Cuisine of Quebec City

Quebec will delight gourmets with plenty of interesting national dishes and a wide selection of restaurants. Locally made cheese remains one of the most popular national treats. By the way, the cheese produced in this region is very popular and is considered the best in North America. Tourists can easily buy local cheese in any food market or supermarket. Local restaurants also offer their guests delicious cheese platters. Québecoise tourtière pie is another typical national dish. The pie is … Read further

Traditions and festivals in Celle

A wide range of travelers know Celle because of its annual national holidays and festivals that never cease to attract the attention of foreign visitors. One of such event is the Horse Parade held annually in September; this festival features unique atmosphere of solemnity. The first stud-farm in Celle has been opened in 1735, since then local stallions have being among the best in the region. Saxon stud is known far beyond the borders of Germany; now its territory has about a hundred stallions. … Read further

Genoa cultural sights

Genoa will certainly please fans of captivating excursions. The city is famous for its exquisite palaces, interesting museums and symbolic monuments. San Giorgio Palace has become the symbol of the city for many years. All travellers, who visit Genoa, tend to visit it. The design of the building is elegant and rigorous, and its inner decoration is truly fantastic in even slightest details. The halls of the palace are decorated with frescoes, which depict one of the most important historical … Read further

Ingolstadt attractions and entertainment

The former resident of the Dukes of Bavaria is a fantastic place for all tourists who want to see gorgeous historical landmarks and cultural sights, and, of course, enjoy active recreation. Kleinzoo Wasserstern is one of the must-visit destinations in Ingolstadt. As it is clear from the name, this zoo is not big. However, it is ultimately pleasant to watch how animals happily live there with comfort and all the care they get. At Kleinzoo Wasserstern, visitors can see storks, turtles, monkeys, … Read further

Agios Nikolaos for families and kids

The small resort Agios Nikolaos is famous for its picturesque beaches and quiet historical streets. However, you should really not restrict your vacation here with children to only beaches and walking. In the city, there is a very interesting old farm which is engaged in the production of olive oil. It will be interesting to visit by the whole family. In this farm, old equipments are fully preserved. One of the main “workers” here are the donkeys, which set in motion the pressing mechanism. … Read further

Shopping in Salvador

If you are going to go to local stores, remember that the best type of payment is cashless here. You will find terminals even in small shops. Of course, you can pay for the purchase in cash. However, be ready for the fact that you will definitely lose one or two coins from the change. Salvador is not the best place to find branded items. There aren't too many of them here. Their prices are not much different from the European ones. There are no outlets at all here. This is due to the fact that … Read further

Extreme and fun in Lemnos

Conquer the Waves on Keros Beach . The wind blows almost constantly on the coast of Lemnos. Therefore, if you come to Keros Beach between May and September you will not only bask in the sand and swim in the clear waters of the Aegean Sea but also ride the waves while standing on the board. You will choose its type. It can be classic, with a sail, or with a kite. If you are an experienced conqueror of the water element you should prefer the southern part of the beach. If you are a beginner you … Read further