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Malaysians made 11.9 million outbound trips in 2025, spending a total of USD13.73 billion (around RM56.19 billion) on international travel, according to UN Tourism data compiled by VisitBritain
That volume places Malaysia among the more active outbound travel markets in the region, even as the bulk of that spending stays close to home.
According to Tourism Malaysia's Outbound and Domestic Travel Behaviour survey, conducted in early 2024 among 1,359 respondents, 35.1% of Malaysians took at least one overnight outbound holiday trip in 2023.
Among those who travelled, Thailand accounted for 30.2% of trips, more than double the next destination, Indonesia, at 15.3%.
Singapore (11.7%), Japan (7.5%), China and South Korea (4.6% each), Saudi Arabia (3.4%, largely pilgrimage travel), Vietnam (2.9%), and the UK (2.1%) rounded out the top destinations.
Holiday travel dominated the numbers, accounting for 91.3% of all outbound trips, well ahead of visiting friends and relatives (9.5%) and every other category combined.
Visitors are greeted by performers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Thailand's Samut Prakan province as part of a welcoming event for passengers in celebration of the Chinese New Year 2026 at the International Arrivals Terminal.
Image via Somchai Poomlard/Bangkok Post/AFPThe UK is Malaysians' biggest Western Europe draw, and it isn't cheap
Britain welcomed 131,000 visits from Malaysia, with total spending of GBP202.7 million (around RM1.11 billion) and an average spend of GBP1,553 (around RM8,500) per visit, according to VisitBritain's own market data.
That makes the UK the top Western European destination for Malaysian travellers by a clear margin, even though it sits far outside the short-haul destinations that dominate outbound volume.
People walk along the south bank of the River Thames, past Tower Bridge (behind), in central London.
Image via Brook Mitchell/AFPMost Malaysians travel with family, plan a few months in advance, and fly on local airlines
Family trips were the most common form of outbound travel, cited by 32.5% of respondents, closely followed by trips with friends (31.9%) and travel with a spouse (16.9%).
Only 3.6% travelled solo.
Planning tends to happen a few months in advance: 39.0% booked their trip one to three months ahead, and another 28.5% planned four to six months in advance.
Most trips were booked directly through hotel or airline websites (34.5%) or through online travel agencies (32.4%), rather than through a traditional travel agent.
Once in the air, Malaysian carriers had the edge: 51.3% of respondents flew local airlines for their most recent outbound trip, compared to 48.7% who chose international carriers.
Air travel accounted for 67.3% of trips overall, with land travel, largely cross-border trips into southern Thailand, making up nearly a third, at 31.7%.
An AirAsia plane at Changi Airport Terminal 1 departure gates.
Image via Mark Cheong/ST/SPH Media/AFPBudget, not luxury, drives most travel decisions
Budget considerations topped the list of factors shaping outbound travel decisions, cited by 28.3% of respondents, ahead of discounts (25.3%), social media influence (13.4%), and word of mouth (12.7%).
That budget-conscious pattern extended into looking ahead: 69% of respondents said they planned to travel abroad again, budgeting for an average of 1.3 overseas destinations.
Once travelling, value for money was what Malaysians said they enjoyed most about their trips (21.7%), narrowly ahead of food (21.0%) and historically rich destinations (16.3%).
Accommodation choices skewed towards convenience over luxury, with 63.3% staying in city hotels and 13.0% opting for short-term rentals like Airbnb.
The takeaway: short-haul, budget-driven travel, not long-haul luxury, defines the outbound Malaysian travel market
Long-haul splurges in the UK or Europe make for occasional headlines, but they're not what drives Malaysia's outbound travel volume.
The bulk of it is frequent, budget-conscious trips to nearby Southeast Asian and East Asian destinations, mostly for holidays, decided and booked directly by the travellers themselves rather than through agents.
The long-haul spending that does happen, in places like Britain, is the exception rather than the rule.
People take pictures against the Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall, at the Jewel Complex at Singapore Changi Airport.
Image via Roslan Rahman/AFP