Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are Malaysia’s top local tourism hotspots as spending hits RM121.3bn in 2025

Visitor numbers rose to 290.1mn while average stays lengthened, as festive travel, state tourism campaigns, and major events helped drive demand across the country.

Malaysia's domestic tourism sector continued to grow in 2025, with total domestic visitor expenditure increasing by 13.6% year-on-year to RM121.3bn, according to the latest Domestic Tourism Survey (DTS) Malaysia 2025 released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

The increase from RM106.7bn recorded in 2024 was driven by growth in spending among both tourists and excursionists. According to Dato' Sri Dr Mohd. Uzir Mahidin, Chief Statistician of Malaysia, tourist expenditure rose by 14.6%, while excursionist expenditure increased by 12.2%.

Tourists remained the largest contributor to domestic visitor spending, accounting for 59.5% of the total expenditure recorded in 2025.

The report also showed that domestic travel activity continued to gain momentum throughout the year. The number of domestic visitors rose by 11.5% to 290.1mn, compared with 260.1mn in 2024.

At the same time, travellers spent longer periods at their destinations. The average length of stay increased to 2.56 nights in 2025 from 2.49 nights in the previous year, reflecting a stronger inclination among Malaysians to participate in domestic tourism activities.

According to DOSM, the sector's performance was supported by increased travel demand during major festive and holiday periods, including Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Christmas, and school holidays.

State-level tourism campaigns under the Tahun Melawat Negeri initiatives also encouraged more inter-state travel and destination spending.

Meanwhile, cultural and tourism events such as the Kaamatan Festival in Sabah and the Gawai Dayak celebrations in Sarawak continued to attract visitors and contribute to tourism-related economic activities.

The organisation of large-scale concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and sporting tournaments further stimulated domestic travel throughout the year. Malaysia's role as host of several ASEAN meetings and related programmes also boosted business and event-related travel, creating additional demand for accommodation, transportation, and tourism services nationwide.

Most visitors travelled by land, while paid accommodation gained ground

From a travel pattern perspective, land transport remained the dominant mode of travel, accounting for 97.5% of all domestic trips in 2025.

In terms of accommodation, staying with relatives and friends continued to be the preferred choice, representing 56.2% of total tourists.

However, the use of paid accommodation increased to 43.8% in 2025, up from 39.6% in the previous year. Hotels remained the most popular paid accommodation option, accounting for 23.1% of tourists.

Visiting family and shopping remained key travel drivers

Visiting relatives and friends remained the leading purpose of domestic travel, accounting for 35.6% of total trips.

Shopping followed as the second most common reason for travel at 24.6%.

This was reflected in spending patterns, with shopping making up the largest share of domestic visitor expenditure at 36.9%. Food and beverages accounted for 16.1% of spending, while vehicle fuel contributed 13.5%.

Selangor remained Malaysia's most visited state

At the state level, Selangor continued to attract the highest number of domestic visitors, recording 36.4mn visitors in 2025.

The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur followed with 35.1mn visitors, while Perak ranked third with 23.6mn visitors.

According to DOSM, the strong performance of these destinations reflects their diverse tourism offerings, well-developed infrastructure, urban attractions, and strategic connectivity, which continued to appeal to both leisure and business travellers.

All in all, domestic travel activity remained resilient in 2025, supported by steady demand across Malaysia’s key tourism destinations.

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Infographic / DOSM