PUTRAJAYA, Feb 27 — Malaysia’s tourism sector is significantly outpacing international recovery rates, recording an 11.2 per cent surge in international visitor arrivals last year compared to the global average of just four per cent.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil disclosed the data today, noting that the country also easily surpassed the Asia-Pacific regional growth average of six per cent.

He said that these higher-than-average figures illustrate Malaysia’s competitiveness as a premier travel destination, even as other global markets experience sluggish post-pandemic recoveries.

“The rise in tourist arrivals reflects Malaysia’s position as one of the main destinations that continues to be trusted by international travellers,” Fahmi told reporters following the weekly Cabinet meeting here.

Attributing the statistics to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the minister highlighted that the surge points to a robust and ongoing recovery across both the domestic tourism and aviation sectors.

He credited the boom to strategic border reopenings, aggressive promotional campaigns, and significantly increased international flight connectivity.

Fahmi added that Putrajaya will continue to focus heavily on upgrading tourism-related infrastructure and enhancing overall hospitality services to sustain this upward trajectory in visitor arrivals throughout the year.