Indonesia remains Malaysia’s largest medical tourism source market as 968,000 healthcare travellers generated strong growth in 2025 and Malaysia Healthcare expands its outreach in Yogyakarta
Malaysia’s medical tourism sector is seeing particularly strong demand from neighbouring Indonesia. Indonesian healthcare travellers generated RM2.2 billion in revenue for Malaysia in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent, according to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).
The number of healthcare travellers arriving from Indonesia reached 968,000 last year, up 16 percent compared with 2024. Indonesia therefore remains Malaysia Healthcare’s largest source market and an important focus of the country’s strategy to strengthen its position as an international medical tourism destination.
The latest initiative targeting the Indonesian market was MHX Yogyakarta 2026, held from 20 to 23 August at Pakuwon Mall Jogja. The four-day consumer event brought Malaysian hospitals and healthcare providers directly into contact with potential patients in one of Indonesia’s growing regional markets.
Yogyakarta gains importance as a healthcare travel market
MHTC considers Yogyakarta a strategically important market due to its well-educated population, increasing demand for advanced specialist treatment and direct air connections with Kuala Lumpur.
“Indonesia has always been Malaysia Healthcare's closest and most valued market, and Yogyakarta represents an exciting opportunity as healthcare awareness and demand for specialised treatments continue to grow,” says Rahmatullah Baragau, MHTC’s Head of Indonesia Market.
“Through MHX Yogyakarta 2026, we aim to strengthen public confidence in Malaysia Healthcare while bringing our trusted healthcare ecosystem closer to local communities.”
The event was organised as part of Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 under the theme “Healing Meets Hospitality”. The campaign combines the promotion of medical expertise with patient care and the wider travel experience surrounding treatment in Malaysia.
19 hospitals present their medical expertise
A total of 19 hospitals and specialist healthcare providers participated in MHX Yogyakarta. Their services covered areas including cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, fertility treatment, health screening, gastroenterology and other specialised medical disciplines.
Participants included major institutions and hospital groups from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and other Malaysian healthcare centres, among them Institut Jantung Negara, Island Hospital Penang, Mahkota Medical Centre, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Penang Adventist Hospital and several Sunway Medical Centre locations.
The broad range of participating providers reflects Malaysia’s efforts to position medical tourism not around individual treatments alone, but around a healthcare ecosystem offering patients access to different specialties and levels of care.
Indonesia drives Malaysia’s medical tourism growth
The 2025 figures underline the economic importance of the Indonesian market. While arrivals increased by 16 percent to 968,000, revenue grew considerably faster at 24 percent to RM2.2 billion.
This means that growth was not driven solely by higher patient numbers. The figures also indicate an increase in average healthcare travel revenue per Indonesian visitor, although MHTC did not provide a detailed breakdown of spending patterns.
With MHX Yogyakarta, MHTC is seeking to build on this growth by strengthening relationships with local communities, healthcare stakeholders and organisations in Indonesia. The initiative also supports Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 and the country’s wider ambition to increase its international profile as a destination for medical treatment and healthcare travel.
Image Credit: © AI generated illustration using material courtesy of MHTC
