In the first half of 2026, 4 469 tourists from Turkmenistan visited Malaysia, according to a Tourism Malaysia press release on the growth of tourism from Central Asian countries.

From January to June of this year, 53 347 tourists from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan visited Malaysia. This figure is 23,3% higher than the same period in 2025, when 43 280 arrivals were recorded.

The largest increase among the region's countries was recorded in the number of tourists from Uzbekistan, up 62% to 16 283. Arrivals from Tajikistan increased by 60,2% to 2 131. Kazakhstan, Malaysia's largest market in Central Asia, welcomed 26 296 tourists, an 11,8% increase compared to last year. Tourist arrivals from Kyrgyzstan increased by 13,7% to 4 168.

According to Tourism Malaysia, the growing interest of travelers from Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, is driven by the country's diverse tourism offerings, as well as its well-developed halal infrastructure, wide selection of halal cuisine, and accessibility to prayer sites.

An additional factor in the development of tourist exchange between regions remains the expansion of air traffic.

The increase in tourist flow is part of the international campaign Visit Malaysia 2026–2027, which aims to promote various tourist destinations and leisure opportunities in the country.

Tourism Malaysia notes that Central Asia remains a promising market for further development of tourism cooperation with Malaysia.