Investigating Pull Factors in International Tourist Travel Motivation: An Empirical Analysis on the Malaysian Tourism Industry

Abstract

The Malaysian economy has evolved since it gained its independence in 1957, moving away from one centered on natural resources and toward one based on services. The Malaysian tourism sector that is one of the country's promising service industries, was further expanded in 2013 under the direction of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC), as part of the country's attempts to become a top travel destination. Due to its political stability, tropical climate, gastronomic choices, and cultural and linguistic variety, Malaysia is one of the world's top business and tourism destinations and is now seeing a spectacular expansion as a result of globalization. With an average yearly growth rate of 11.2 percent, Malaysia's GDP contribution from the service sector has been on the rise. In 2005, tourism made up 10.4% of the GDP; by 2017, it had increased to 14.9 percent. International tourism receipts increased from USD 18.08 billion in 2016 to USD 18.53 billion in 2017 despite a decline in domestic tourist arrivals of 809,000 between those two years (“World Tourism Organization and International Transport Forum 2019”) that describes the expansion of tourism's significant part in Malaysia's economy (Sharif et al. 2020)