Tourism is the second highest foreign currency earner for the nation and around 25.7 million tourists visited Malaysia in 2015. Malaysia, with its outstanding biodiversity and scenic natural environment has been successfully promoted as an ecotourism and nature-oriented tourism destination in recent years. For example, recreational diving is a high value form of tourism that attracts tourists from all over the world. This type of tourism depends on the diversity of coral reefs and quality of the environment.
Sipadan, Layang-Layang and the oceanic islands in the South China seas are considered to be among the world’s best diving sites. Mulu National Park and Kinabalu National Park are UNESCO World Heritage sites with biodiversity of global significance. Taman Negara National Park annually draws over 80,000 tourists. These and many others help to drive Malaysia’s tourism industry.
