Politics vs data: Is PAS hurting Langkawi's tourism?

 

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has again taken a shot at Langkawi, claiming the island's tourism industry is "sluggish" since PAS took over Kedah.

Commenting on PAS and Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh's criticism of the Rain Rave Water Music Festival 2026, the DAP veteran called for them to "face reality" as foreign tourists do not visit Malaysia to be bound by "extreme moral restrictions".

"PAS' track record in the tourism sector is very worrying. Just look at the situation in Langkawi Island; the state government's failure to govern has caused a sharp decline in the number of foreign and domestic tourists," she said in a statement yesterday.

"Do not turn Malaysia into a country with a 'sluggish' tourism sector like what has happened in Langkawi due to the image and policies of the PAS-led state government," she added.

This is not the first time Kok has criticised Langkawi. She is among those who have continued to perpetuate claims that non-Muslims were not allowed to consume alcohol or wear shorts.

Teresa Kok

This is despite Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor denying that such rules are in place.

Such comments by politicians may give the impression that PAS is scaring away tourists from Langkawi. But what does the data say?

Before and after pandemic

Prior to Covid-19, statistics released by the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) show tourism in Langkawi peaked at 3.9 million visitors, of which 13.9 percent or 544,000 were international tourists.

Numbers plummeted sharply in 2020 as global travel restrictions took effect from April, although international tourists still accounted for 9.3 percent of 1,804,556 visitors that year.

That same year, Sanusi became menteri besar after a coup toppled the state Pakatan Harapan government.

Sanusi Nor

The lockdown in 2021 sent numbers toppling further, at just 1.09 million annual visitors - the lowest on record since before 1993.

Of that number, less than 5,000 or 0.5 percent were foreign tourists as borders remained closed.

Since then, Langkawi’s tourism industry has slowly begun to recover - albeit it has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels.

In 2022, when border restrictions began to ease significantly, foreign arrivals began to recover to 2.5 percent or 64,000 of 2.52 million visitors.

In 2023, the year the supposed shorts ban took effect, there were 223,000 (7.9 percent) international tourists and 332,000 (11.4 percent) the year after.

The latest figures show that Langkawi welcomed 3.2 million tourists in 2025, of which 341,000 (10.6 percent) are foreigners.

While the data does not directly establish a link between state policies and tourist composition, an overview of the decades suggests that Langkawi has long been a predominantly domestic tourism destination, with foreign arrivals only now approaching pre-pandemic levels.

As such, broader factors - such as connectivity and global travel trends - should be considered alongside the local government in evaluating the island’s tourism performance. - Mkini