KUALA LUMPUR (June 9): The number of foreign tourist arrivals to Malaysia is expected to hit 5 million by the end of this year, according to the country's largest association for travel and tour. The easing of restrictions since April 1 and the renewed surge in international travel put the industry in a good position to recover, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) President Tan Kok Liang told Xinhua in a phone interview. "We have had around 1 million arrivals since the government lifted restrictions on international tourism arrival. Tan, however, said the tourism sector still faces challenges, most notably a shortage in manpower following two years of disruptions and other problems in securing foreign workers. According to data from Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry, Malaysia recorded 26.1 million arrivals in 2019, contributing RM$86.1 billion (US$19.59 billion), with this figure dropping to 4.33 million arrivals in 2020 as the pandemic took hold and only 130,000 arrivals in 2021.

Source: The Edge Markets June 09, 2022 23:26 UTC