Malaysia Welcomes 1,055 Cruise Ships, 1.5 Million Cruise Pax in 2023
Bets Big on Cruising Industry at Seatrade Cruise Global 2024
Malaysia is setting its sights on the cruise tourism industry for the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026.
In 2023, Malaysia witnessed unprecedented cruise arrival figures, with its ports welcoming 1,055 cruise ships carrying 1,520,608 passengers—an 84.78% rise in ship arrivals and a 62.43% increase in passenger numbers compared to 2019 pre-pandemic rates.
Malaysia presently serves as the homeport for two cruise lines operating from Port Klang in Kuala Lumpur, with plans for further expansion in the future. Marking a historic milestone in Malaysia’s aspiration to emerge as a premier homeporting destination, the maiden voyage of the Costa Serena departed from Port Klang in January 2024.
Costa Serena is the latest addition to Kuala Lumpur’s list of cruise partners choosing it as their homeport. With this, cruise tourism emerges as a key sector in elevating Malaysia’s global appeal, in line with the destination’s promotional plans toward Visit Malaysia 2026, the nation’s upcoming campaign to welcome 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2026.
“We are again thrilled to be part of Seatrade Cruise Global. This event provides an excellent platform to highlight Malaysia’s potential as a homeport and to forge valuable connections with industry leaders. We look forward to engaging with the global cruise community and inviting them to experience the wonders of Malaysia, especially in developing suitable cruise tourism trips and packages into Malaysia”, said Akbal Setia, the Vice President of Tourism Malaysia – Americas.
