The state of Malaysia’s tourism sector during the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic is but a distant memory.
The sector has rebounded strongly since, surpassing pre-pandemic arrival numbers at 38 million visitors in 2025 compared with 35 million in 2019, signifying Malaysia’s strength within Southeast Asia’s tourism landscape by leading the pack.
The sector has gone from strength to strength. Tourism brought in over RM80 billion in foreign exchange earnings last year, amounting to approximately five per cent of GDP.
Riding on this momentum, the government has launched the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, aimed at generating RM300 billion in tourism receipts, equating to 15 per cent of GDP.
However, attracting tourists is only one part of the equation for success.
Extensive research shows that ease of movement is a core pillar in shaping a positive travel experience for tourists. On-the-ground realities of public transportation usage tell a different story.
Public transit quality, especially pertaining to service reliability and general accessibility, are aspects commonly overlooked when discussing the travel experience of tourists.
Feeder buses operated by Rapid KL fully rely on Touch ‘n Go as the sole payment platform, as cash payments have been phased out in recent years.
According to Rapid KL, streamlining payment systems by using a cashless approach via Touch ‘n Go cards would reduce waiting times. To that end, Malaysia’s approach to digitalisation may be viewed as progress.
But what about tourists? Having Touch ‘n Go as a single point of contact for payment while excluding cards and cash payments as alternatives for bus services risks sidelining tourists from utilising a major form of public transit networks, particularly buses.
Buses are crucial in addressing first and last-mile concerns, yet payment processes tied to them are incredibly restrictive. Like London and Ohio, Malaysia is an outlier in its approach to cashless payments for buses.
Incidences of stranded tourists who have been denied entry into Rapid KL buses are common, pointing to a wider trend of exclusion. This may discourage tourists from utilising feeder buses and other paratransit services.
Beyond payment concerns, inaccurate, inconsistent and damaged signage are common complaints for bus times and bus stops.
Many bus stop signs in the Klang Valley alone fail to indicate that Rapid KL buses exclusively accept Touch ‘n Go payments, which could lead to confusion for tourists unfamiliar with our public transport.
Information on how to purchase these cards is also absent from signage.
Weak wayfinding within rail transit hubs and between rail and bus stops is another major point of concern. Disjointed pedestrian infrastructure leading to bus stops and train stations also poses a safety concern for tourists.
Ultimately, a weak ancillary system risks hurting utilisation, potentially dampening investments made to rail system expansion throughout the past decade.
In addition, fragmented and inconsistent information dissemination strategies – particularly pertaining to the communication of service disruptions and bus arrival times – presents a major setback.
For example, inaccurate service times shown through the official MyRapid Pulse application, touted as the government’s official source for real-time bus data, are a common occurrence.
In effect, this reinforces a perception of unreliability many are familiar with, forcing a reliance towards external applications or private services entirely, such as Grab, thus shifting the user base away from public transportation services.
Rapid KL’s official communications channels, such as through social media and their website also suffer from similar issues of disconnectedness.
These issues include a lack of basic accessibility features, such as alternative text on visual updates and staggered social media posts, which require users to click on separate links for further updates on a single service disruption.
The inundation of updates risks overwhelming users who simply wish to navigate the system, while also potentially posing a safety concern due to delayed and unclear communication on station shutdowns and potential technical failures.
The government has acknowledged the need for increased investment in public transportation infrastructure and capacity, as ridership numbers have reached an all-time high, averaging 1.31 million passengers between July and December of 2025.
Bus fleet expansion is also underway, with over 500 buses to be launched, encompassing both diesel and electric buses.
The government has also signalled commitment to bolstering first- and last-mile connectivity by improving pedestrian walkways and erecting more bus stops.
To achieve increased public transit uptake, broader reforms in payment flexibility, information availability and clarity, as well as service punctuality are critical.
Specifically, improving wayfinding and signage quality, as well as democratising payment methods beyond Touch ‘n Go could potentially increase tourist ridership substantially.
Tourism is not just about flashy locations but is also inextricably tied to how safely and efficiently tourists, both local and foreign, can navigate to and from these places.
Public transport cannot be seen as an afterthought for the VM2026 campaign. Instead, it must be viewed as core thrust of Malaysia’s tourism strategy now and beyond.
