Kuala Lumpur, July 10 -- Malaysia welcomed 17.5 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, up 3.4% year-on-year. Tourism Malaysia Director-General Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim said on July 8 that the growth was driven by strong demand from key source markets, including ASEAN member states, China, Japan, Australia, China's Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. He noted that Malaysia's tourism sector could have achieved even stronger growth had it not been affected by the conflict in the Middle East. To sustain momentum, Tourism Malaysia has adjusted its marketing strategy to focus on regional and high-potential markets while continuing to work with a...