by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:45 AM ET, Mon April 15, 2024
Malaysia is looking to grow its tourism industry by positioning itself as an ideal Southeast Asian cruise destination in the years to come.
Last year, the country welcomed a record of cruise travelers, welcoming 1,055 cruise ships with over 1.5 million travelers throughout the year.
These numbers mark a nearly 85 percent increase in ship arrivals and a 62 percent increase in cruise visitors when compared to 2019’s pre-pandemic totals. Major ports include those in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu (where travelers can experience one of Malaysia's biggest attractions, Mount Kinabalu), Penang and Langkawi, which is a UNESCO-designated World Geopark.
Two cruise lines currently homeport from Port Klang in the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur. Costa Cruises’ Costa Serena began homeporting from Port Klang in January, 2024 and is the most recent to do so.
Tourism Malaysia hopes to expand Port Klang to allow more ships to visit. It’s part of the destination management organization’s overarching Visit Malaysia 2026 goal, which hopes to welcome 35.6 million tourists in 2026.
Tourism Malaysia also recently attended the annual Seatrade Cruise Global event. The Honorable Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia, delivered a keynote address entitled, “Malaysia Truly Asia: Malaysia Cruise Tourism” as a way to introduce the destination to those who may not be familiar with it.
"We are again thrilled to be part of Seatrade Cruise Global,” said Mr. Akbal Setia, Vice President of Tourism Malaysia for the Americas. “This event provides an excellent platform to highlight Malaysia's potential as a homeport and to forge valuable connections with industry leaders. We look forward to engaging with the global cruise community and inviting them to experience the wonders of Malaysia, especially in developing suitable cruise tourism trips and packages into Malaysia.”
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