Mapping Malaysia's Resource Centres

18 Tourism What makes Malaysia special is the diversity of the country and its culture, which is the basis for the tagline “Malaysia Truly Asia.” No other country is home to Asia’s three major races: Malay, Chinese, Indian, plus other ethnic groups, within one destination in the large numbers present in Malaysia. This diversity gives birth to the colourful history, culture, heritage, festivals, cuisine, arts, and celebrations that now make Malaysia a must- visit destination. Aside from this, the wealth of natural resources in Malaysia is another priceless asset: million-year-old rainforests, islands and beaches, rivers and lakes, hills and mountains. Among the factors attributed to Malaysia’s appeal as a holiday destination are: its value- for-money, well-developed infrastructure and amenities, great diversity of culture and natural attractions, state-of-the-art facilities in transportation and communications, as well as political stability and safety. On average, there are over 20 million international tourist arrivals to Malaysia annually. The top 10 countries with the highest contribution of tourist arrivals were Singapore (over 7 million tourist arrivals), Indonesia (over 2 million), China (over 2 million), Thailand (over 1 million), Brunei (over 900,000), India (over half a million), South Korea (over half a million), Vietnam (over 300,000), Japan (over 300,000) and the Philippines (over 300,000). Tourist expenditure reached over RM65 billion yearly, with a growth of 7%. The main contributors to the tourist expenditure were from Singapore (over RM16 billion), China (over RM12 billion), Indonesia (over RM8 billion), Thailand (over RM2 billion) and India (over RM2 billion). Without a doubt, tourism is one of the most important sectors in the driving of growth in Malaysia’s economy, capable of generating both income and domestic jobs. This tourism industry has contributed over 15% to the national economy. Employment in the tourism industry has increased to over 3 million persons, contributing roughly 23% to total employment nationwide. Food & beverage serving services and retail trade recorded the highest employment in the tourism industry with a share of just over 34% and 33% respectively.