Malaysia tourism operators report cancellations as haze disrupts travel
Inbound operators are seeing fewer group bookings as Malaysia pursues a target of 47 million visitors under its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Mint Leong said inbound operators were receiving cancellations for November and fewer bookings from groups as haze affected Malaysia. Travel agents abroad were also asking for information about air quality, she said.
Smoke from wild fires in Indonesia has disrupted flights and reduced visibility at tourist attractions. Leong said the resulting revenue losses could amount to millions of ringgit.
Malaysia is aiming to attract 47 million visitors in 2026 through the extended Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Tourism Malaysia recorded 28.8 million international visitors during the first eight months of 2026. The Ministry of Tourism did not respond to questions about the haze’s impact.
Department of Statistics Malaysia figures put international visitor spending at RM124.8 billion in 2025, compared with domestic tourist spending of RM112.1 billion. Industries linked to tourism contributed RM323 billion in economic value, or 15.9% of gross domestic product (GDP). Activity directly tied to tourism expenditure represented 6.8% of GDP.
Visitors have responded differently to the conditions. Australian tourist Cathy Hamilton said she would probably have cancelled her visit if her daughters had not been attending the ICU Asian Cheerleading Championships. UK visitor James Wheatley said his group was continuing its trip despite the pollution, while Chinatown handbag seller Wong Mei reported fewer customers and attributed the decline to haze.
