EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Malaysia stands at the threshold of its most ambitious tourism moment in a generation. Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), targets 47 million international visitors and RM329 billion in tourism revenue. Malaysia recorded 37.96 million international arrivals in 2024 and 42.19 million in 2025. MATTA believes the updated VM2026 target of 47 million visitors remains achievable.
Sources: Tourism Malaysia, Malay Mail’s calculations info as of March 2026.
The VM 2026 Engagement & Sentiment Analysis 2025
International Visitors’ Expenditure In Malaysia
The spending data is even more compelling. In 2024, the top 20 source markets contributed RM98.36 billion which is 92% of Malaysia’s total international visitor spend. ASEAN (six countries), China, and India collectively delivered RM80.58 billion, or 75% of the total. Shopping, accommodation, and food & beverage accounted for more than 70% of what international visitors spent.
China alone occupies almost 20% of the top spending countries, which is around RM20.87 billion in total.
Sources: Tourism Malaysia, Malay Mail’s calculations info as of March 2026.
Forecast: 2026
China is the highest-growth inbound market, ASEAN is the volume anchor, and Borneo is the most underleveraged destination. Operators who connect these three dots in 2026 will capture a disproportionate share of Malaysia’s RM1471 billion tourism revenue target.
THE VM2026 MARKET OPPORTUNITY
The VM2026 campaign is not merely a tourism drive; it is a national economic strategy.
TOP EVENTS IN 2025
TOP-MENTIONED STATES IN 2025
INSIGHTS:
Sarawak and Sabah combined generate nearly the same buzz as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, yet have a fraction of the Chinese-language digital infrastructure needed to convert that interest into real arrivals. Borneo is already woven into VM2026’s biggest moments… Borneo is not a side story to VM2026.
IT IS AT THE HEART OF IT. THIS IS THE HIGHEST-ROI GAP IN THE ENTIRE VM2026 ECOSYSTEM.
BORNEO – THE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITY
Why Both States Together Beat Either Alone
The most compelling insight from the Xiaohongshu data is not what each state offers individually; it is what they offer as a combined Borneo itinerary. Chinese travellers increasingly search for ‘Borneo’ as a holistic destination, not separate Malaysian states. This is a profound opportunity: positioning Sabah and Sarawak as a seamless two-state journey unlocks stays of 7-14 nights rather than the current 2-3 nights or revenue average.
SABAH ALONE – 2-7 nights – Nature, diving, adventure
SARAWAK ALONE – 2-7 nights – Food, culture, slow life
BORNEO – 7-14 nights – Nature + Food + Culture + Adventure (2-3 revenue per visitor)
WHAT CHINESE TOURISTS ACTUALLY WANT IN BORNEO
THE CHINESE OPPORTUNITY
Why Amap is the Navigation Layer for Chinese Tourists
Chinese tourists represent one of Malaysia’s largest and highest-spending visitor segments. As VM2026 explicitly targets increased arrivals from Mainland China, the readiness of Malaysia’s tourism infrastructure such as hotels, attractions, F&B, and transport to appear accurately and accessibly on Amap is a direct conversion factor. However, malaysian tourism operators largely do not yet appreciate that their Amap presence is as important as their Google Maps or TripAdvisorlisting for Chinese visitor.
Amap ( ⾼ 德 地 图 ), developed by Alibaba’s AutoNavi, is the leading navigation app in China with over 1 billion registered users.
- Rated as ‘best map for travel in China’ by international users
- Strong accuracy and routing praised across Southeast Asia
- ‘Essential, must have’ recommendation from travellers to China
The Amap Listing Gap in Malaysia
A systematic review of Malaysian tourism destinations on Amap reveals significant gaps:
Critical Pain Points (GAP):
- Requires a Chinese phone number for account registration
- Incomplete POI data such as outdated contact and operating hours
- No direct booking integration
Opportunities:
Any solution that helps Malaysian tourism operators to get accurately listed, optimised, and bookable on Amap is directly aligned with VM2026 national objectives.
THE STRATEGIC SOLUTION
The Xiaohongshu-to-Amap Journey
Understanding the Chinese tourist’s digital journey is critical for closing sales to tourism stakeholders. The path typically flows as follows:
The Three Pillars of Chinese Visitor Readiness
Based on the intelligence gathered across several data sources, we identify three non-negotiable pillars for any Malaysian tourism operator seeking to benefit from VM2026’s Chinese visitor pipeline:
PILLAR 1 – CHINESE PLATFORM PRESENCE
PILLAR 2 – SOCIAL CONTENT PIPELINE
PILLAR 3 – ON-GROUND EXPERIENCE READINESS
READY TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL READINESS GAP FOR VM2026?
WHAT’S NEXT?
We don’t just tell you what’s happening. We tell you WHAT’S NEXT
Chinese tourists are planning their Borneo trips right now. The planning window is open. The booking window closes Q2 2026.
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Let’s decode the next wave of growth together.
