Tourist arrivals in Malaysia in April more than doubled from the same month last year, backed by a strong recovery in visitors from neighbouring Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, government statistics showed today.

Arrivals rose to 1.27 million in April from just 459,372 last year, when the industry was battered by the double whammy of the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and the Iraq war.

The total number of tourists in 2003 dipped to 10.5 million from 13.3 million the previous year, according to figures published in the Business Times.

Last month, Singaporean visitors topped the list at 809,640, making-up 63.9 percent of the total, along with 135,805 Thais, up 75.9 percent, and 51,718 Indonesians.

Hong Kong and China, countries which were badly-hit by the Sars outbreak in 2003, also boosted tourist arrivals last month, with Hong Kong visitors up 405.7 percent compared to last year.

"The very positive reaction was mainly due to pent-up demand because people had deferred their travel plans throughout the whole of last year due to Sars and the Iraq war," Azrul Azwar, senior economist with MIDF Berhad, told AFP.

"Malaysia has been able to retain its pole position as a tourist destination in the region compared to its neighbours like Thailand and Singapore," he said.

He said tourist arrivals this year were expected to reach 13.8 million, while the government has said it is confident the number would climb back to the 2002 level of 13.3 million. - AFP