Malaysia expects drop in tourism from Indonesia haze | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — Australian tourist Cathy Hamilton was experiencing regrets about her visit to Malaysia when she tried to take pictures of the haze-shrouded Petronas Twin Towers.
“I tried to get some nice photos of the Twin Towers, Merdeka 118 and other scenery, but I couldn’t get good shots because they were all covered in haze,” said the Sydney native, who was also struggling to breathe as smoke from Indonesia’s wildfires choked the area.
Had it not been for the Asian Cheerleading Championships at ICU, which her daughters were participating in over the weekend, she probably would have canceled her trip, Hamilton said earlier this week.
She is not the only tourist who has reassessed Malaysia as a foggy blanket of land. Tourism operators are experiencing fewer bookings for this time of year – and even cancellations – as smog disrupts flights, obscures some of the country’s best-known attractions and threatens a key driver of Southeast Asia’s economy.
Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta were ranked among the world’s 10 most polluted major cities on Tuesday, according to a live ranking by air quality monitoring company IQAir. Bad air has forced schools to close in some parts of Malaysia.
Inbound tour operators are reporting cancellations for November and fewer group bookings as foreign travel agencies seek updates on air quality, Inbound Tourism Association of Malaysia president Mint Leong said.
The slowdown comes as Malaysia targets 47 million visitors this year as part of its expanded Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. The country recorded 28.8 million international visitors in the first eight months of 2026, according to Tourism Malaysia. The Ministry of Tourism did not respond to inquiries about the impact of the haze on the sector.
“The loss of revenue could run into millions” of ringgit, Leong said.
International visitors spent 124.8 billion ringgit ($30.6 billion) in the country last year, compared to 112.1 billion ringgit from domestic tourists, statistics ministry figures show.
Tourism-related industries will generate an economic value of 323 billion ringgit in 2025, equivalent to 15.9% of gross domestic product. Economic activity directly attributable to tourism expenditure represented 6.8% of GDP.
Despite foggy conditions, some tourists flocked to Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown on Monday in search of bargains, although shopkeeper Wong Mei said there had been fewer customers this month.
“In the last two weeks, fewer people have come,” said the 62-year-old handbag salesman, blaming the drop on haze.
James Wheatley, a tourist from the UK, said the pollution did not deter his group from visiting Malaysia.
“We just arrived yesterday and will stay until October 27. The haze is not that bad and we are adjusting to it,” said the 60-year-old as he sampled local fruit at a roadside stand. “If we had known, we would have delayed our journey, but we are here.
More such stories are available at bloomberg.com
