Penang medical tourism earns RM601.8 million in first half of 2026
MHTC data put medical tourist arrivals at about 285,400, with the figures covering hospitals but excluding other healthcare providers.
Penang’s medical tourism revenue reached RM601.8 million during the first half (1H) of 2026. Data from the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) recorded about 285,400 medical tourists in the state over that period.
The figures exclude healthcare providers outside hospitals, State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said. These include pharmacies, dental clinics, diagnostic centres and clinical laboratories. He said the wider healthcare sector was likely to serve more medical tourists and generate greater economic activity than the hospital figures indicated.
Wong put Penang’s 2025 medical tourism revenue at RM1.14 billion, with arrivals numbering about 520,000. He said the state’s share of Malaysia’s medical tourism industry exceeded one-third for both tourist numbers and economic contribution.
Indonesia remained the biggest source of medical tourists for Penang, Wong said, citing direct flight connections from Medan, Banda Aceh, Surabaya and Jakarta. A direct Batam–Penang service is scheduled to start on Oct 18.
Wong called for a wider range of international source markets as medical tourism development in Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan increased regional competition. He identified Australia and the Arab region as markets to explore further, pointing to Penang’s Muslim-friendly tourism services, food, beaches and heritage attractions.
