Visit Malaysia 2026 meets an Iran war crisis it never planned for
Malaysia’s reliance on Gulf hubs is exposed as long-haul fares soar, but 21 million annual arrivals from Singapore offer a buffer
Julia had a plan: spring break, Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, then a long-overdue reunion in the jungles of Sarawak. What she got instead was a travel booking screen showing €3,000 (US$3,440) flights and a cascade of cancellation alerts.
“I just can’t afford that,” the 22-year-old Romanian told This Week in Asia.
Backup options on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul or KLM via Amsterdam were similarly expensive. Julia, who asked to be identified only by her first name, was left watching a reunion in Malaysia she had spent months planning slip out of reach.
After welcoming more than 42 million international visitors in 2025 – an 11.2 per cent increase from a year earlier – Visit Malaysia 2026 began with bullish official rhetoric and a campaign meant to showcase the country as one of Asia’s more affordable, easy-to-reach destinations.