GEORGE TOWN, Penang – The Penang State Government has clarified that the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Domestic Tourism Survey 2025 should not be viewed as a definitive measure of the state’s tourism performance, stressing that the survey is based on statistical sampling rather than actual visitor arrivals or hotel accommodation records.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee Chairman Wong Hon Wai said the survey, while valuable for identifying tourism trends, relies on questionnaire responses collected from a limited number of sampling locations nationwide. He explained that Penang was represented by only 205 of the 2,830 enumeration blocks used in the survey, making it unsuitable as the sole benchmark for evaluating the state’s tourism industry.
The clarification follows remarks by Oh Tong Keong, who cited the survey indicating that Penang recorded 5.6 million domestic visitors in 2025, placing the state 12th among Malaysia’s 13 states and three federal territories. He argued that the figures suggested the state government had prioritised international tourism over the domestic market.
However, Wong highlighted that official Tourism Malaysia accommodation statistics paint a different picture. According to the agency’s records, Penang welcomed 8.76 million hotel guests in 2025, comprising 5.29 million domestic tourists and 3.47 million international visitors. This places Penang fifth nationwide in total hotel guests despite being one of Malaysia’s smallest states by land area, while ranking third nationally for international hotel guests.
He further explained that the DOSM survey measures household travel behaviour rather than actual tourist arrivals, with respondents recalling interstate travel undertaken over the previous year. The survey also counts visitors returning to their hometowns, family visits and same-day trips, which differ significantly from tourism arrivals that generate hotel occupancy and tourism spending.
According to the survey, 35.6% of domestic trips were made to visit relatives or friends, while 56.2% of travellers stayed at relatives’ or friends’ homes. In addition, 67% of respondents were day-trippers, many of whom did not utilise commercial accommodation or contribute significantly to tourism-related spending.
Wong noted that while the DOSM Domestic Tourism Survey remains a useful reference for understanding travel patterns and consumer behaviour, it should be interpreted alongside official tourism performance indicators, such as hotel occupancy, accommodation statistics, and visitor expenditure, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the tourism sector.
As Penang continues to strengthen its position as one of Malaysia’s leading tourism destinations, the state remains focused on balancing domestic and international tourism growth while supporting sustainable development across its hospitality, cultural and tourism industries.
