Domestic tourists exempt from Malaysia hotel tax
Just days before it is due to roll out, Malaysia has again tweaked its hotel tax policy.
Now all Malaysian citizens will be exempt, and foreign travellers will now pay a flat RM10 charge per night at all hotels.
The new policy was announced this week by tourism and culture minister Nazri Aziz.
The original plan was for a rate of between RM2 to RM20 per night depending on the star rating which was applicable for all guests – foreign tourists and Malaysians.
"We will impose a RM10 flat rate from five-star to zero-star hotels for foreign tourists, and Malaysians will be exempted from the tax across all classifications of hotels," he said in parliament.
Nazri said the tourism ministry expects the tax will generate about US49 million a year based on current occupancy rates.
"We expect the collection to increase when more tourist accommodation premises come forward to register with the enforcement of the Tourism Tax Act. The ministry also plans to return RM1 for every RM10 in tax per room per night collected, to the state governments for the purpose of promoting tourism," he said.
The tax regime was due to start on August 1, but may be pushed back again.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11