Penang says DOSM tourism survey does not reflect full visitor numbers

GEORGE TOWN, July 30 — Penang’s tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai today said the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM) Domestic Tourism Survey 2025 should not be treated as a definitive measure of the state’s tourism performance as it was based on a sample survey.

He said the survey also included day trippers and those travelling interstate to visit family members.

Wong said the report, published by DOSM under the Economy Ministry, was compiled using statistical sampling and questionnaire responses rather than actual hotel stay records.

“The data obtained are not actual hotel accommodation records but are constructed based on sampling models and survey responses,” he said in a statement today.

He said the survey covered 2,830 enumeration blocks across the country’s 13 states and three federal territories, with only 205 sample blocks located in Penang.

“Although the sampling method has statistical value, it should not be used to draw comprehensive conclusions,” he said.

Wong said the limited sample size might not fully reflect the actual situation or provide a detailed picture of the tourism industry’s performance.

He was responding to criticisms by Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong that Penang recorded only 5.6 million domestic visitors, ranking 12th among the country’s 13 states and three federal territories.

Oh had said Penang lagged behind states such as Pahang, Selangor, Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Kelantan.

Wong said actual hotel accommodation data provided a more reliable indicator of tourism performance.

He cited official Tourism Malaysia figures for 2025 showing Penang recorded 8.76 million hotel guests, comprising 5.29 million domestic visitors and 3.47 million international visitors.

Despite its relatively small geographical size, Wong said Penang ranked fifth nationwide for total hotel guests after Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Johor and Selangor.

For international hotel guests, Penang ranked third behind only Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Wong also questioned the survey’s methodology, noting that DOSM relied on household respondents who were asked to recall interstate travel over the previous year instead of directly tracking visitor arrivals.

“The data collected are retrospective and subjective rather than real-time records,” he said.

He added that the survey was not conducted at airports, hotels or tourist attractions, but instead used households as the sampling unit.

“For a high-density tourism destination like Penang, this approach has the potential to understate the actual number of visitors,” he said.

Wong said DOSM’s definition of domestic visitors also included everyone travelling outside their usual place of residence across state borders, including those making same-day trips and people returning to their hometowns to visit relatives.

He said the survey classified domestic visitors into two groups — tourists who stayed at least one night at their destination, and excursionists who travelled and returned on the same day without staying overnight.

“As a result, the figures published by DOSM also include those returning to their hometowns to visit family,” he said.

Wong said the survey showed that 35.6 per cent of domestic trips were made to visit relatives or friends, while 56.2 per cent of travellers stayed in the homes of relatives or friends.

Using Hari Raya Aidilfitri as an example, he said many Malaysians travelled across state borders to return to their hometowns, but such journeys were fundamentally different from leisure tourism.

He also noted that day visitors accounted for 67 per cent of the survey sample.

“These visitors usually stop for only a short period, do not stay in hotels and generally spend less, making them difficult for the tourism industry to capture,” he said.

Wong said the Domestic Tourism Survey remained a useful reference for understanding tourism trends.

However, he said the methodology, sample size and definitions used meant it should not be used as the sole measure of a destination’s tourism performance.

“In particular, for states like Penang that are known for overnight tourism experiences, cultural heritage, arts and festivals, their appeal and economic contribution cannot be assessed based on a single questionnaire survey alone,” he said.