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Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) recorded about 8,840 tourist arrivals across 32 flights between 7:00am and 10:30am on the first day of Chinese New Year, according to Tourism Malaysia, split roughly between Terminal 1 (6,500) and Terminal 2 (1,500).
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said the strong showing reflected high hotel occupancy nationwide over the festive period, particularly in Kuala Lumpur where many hotels were fully booked. He noted that final two-day arrival figures were still being compiled at the time.
The ministry said it plans to deepen collaboration with the Sarawak state government and Tourism Sarawak after the Hari Raya period, as part of a broader push to promote travel across all Malaysian states, not just peninsular hotspots.
Why it matters: Festive-period surges like this create short-term demand spikes for tourist guides and frontline tourism staff — useful timing intelligence for graduates planning their availability around Chinese New Year and other major holidays. Explore GIT Academy’s Tourist Guide Course to start your journey in Malaysia’s tourism industry.
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