MALAYSIA WELCOMES TOURISTS WITH AIDILFITRI CELEBRATIONS AT MAJOR AIRPORTS

SEPANG, April 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomed both domestic and international tourists with grand Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations at five major airports today, marking a key moment in the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.

The celebrations, held at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 here, Penang International Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kuching International Airport, showcased the country’s vibrant traditions and cultural diversity.

The event was officiated by Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) secretary-general (sec-gen) Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, and attended by MOTAC deputy sec-gen (Tourism) Chua Choon Hwa, Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Dr Yasmin Mahmood and director-general Datuk Manoharan Periasamy.

Speaking to reporters after the event at KLIA Terminal 1, Shaharuddin said the programme was aimed at introducing the country's culture and heritage.

"We want to introduce the culture and heritage of our country, one of which is the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri to the international and local communities so that they can gain a deeper understanding of what Malaysia has to offer, especially in terms of culture and heritage such as dances and food," he said.

The celebrations featured the distribution of festive goodies at the KLIA T1 and T2 arrival halls.

The atmosphere buzzed with captivating cultural performances in a special Aidilfitri-themed showcase. The VM2026 mascots, Wira and Manja, also made delightful appearances, entertaining visitors with their vibrant presence.

Adding to the excitement was the traditional ‘kacau dodol’ session featuring the preparation of a Malay sweet delicacy as well as the symbolic ‘buka lemang” gimmick -- a demonstration of the opening of lemang, a glutinous rice dish cooked in bamboo.

Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia in a statement said in 2024, Malaysia recorded 38 million visitor arrivals, a significant 31.1 per cent increase compared to 29 million arrivals in 2023.

This also surpasses the pre-pandemic record of 35 million arrivals in 2019 by 8.6 per cent.

The top visitor-generating markets were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei.

The total visitor receipts reached RM106.78 billion in 2024, reflecting a substantial growth of 43.7 per cent over 2023 and exceeding the 2019 level by 20 per cent.

According to the tourism board, the momentum continued into January 2025, with a 54.4 per cent surge in visitor arrivals, reaching 3.8 million compared to 2024 and a 24.4 per cent increase compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.

Singapore remained the top source market, contributing 1.7 million arrivals, followed by China, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

— BERNAMA