Malaysia is gearing up for an impressive milestone this year, expecting 1.5 million tourist arrivals from India, driven by robust flight connectivity and an extended visa-free policy that has significantly boosted travel enthusiasm among Indians.
Malaysian High Commissioner to India Datuk Muzafar Shah Mustafa reaffirmed India’s importance as one of Malaysia’s strongest tourism contributors, noting that it currently stands as the fifth-largest source market for the country. According to Tourism Malaysia, arrivals from India now average over 100,000 visitors every month, underscoring the deepening appeal of Malaysian cities, islands, culture, and hospitality.
“We are delighted to see more Indian travellers discovering our cities, islands and white sandy beaches each year,” Muzafar said during a tourism industry event held at the High Commission in New Delhi, where 150 representatives from airlines and travel organisations gathered to promote Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
As of October, Malaysia has already welcomed 1.3 million Indian visitors, with Ahmad Johanif Mohd Ali, Director of Tourism Malaysia’s New Delhi office, expressing confidence in reaching 1.5 million by year-end. Looking ahead, Malaysia has set an ambitious target of 2.5 million Indian arrivals in 2025 as part of the VM2026 campaign. The broader national goal is to attract 47 million international visitors in 2026, a substantial rise from 37.9 million in 2024.
A key factor fueling this growth is the strong air connectivity between the two nations, supported by over 230 weekly flights operated by Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, AirAsia, Air India, and IndiGo. Malaysia Airlines is further expanding its India network with a new daily service to Thiruvananthapuram, increasing total weekly seat capacity from 43,000 to over 45,000.
To strengthen this momentum, Malaysia has also extended visa-free entry for Indian tourists until the end of 2026, a move expected to significantly uplift tourism exchanges and economic impact.
