Tourism tax on Malaysian island packages
You heard there is a tourism tax and want to know whether it touches your island package.
Tourism tax was reported at its 2017 launch as a charge on foreign tourists, not on Malaysians, counted per room per night. If your group includes foreign visitors, ask whether the tax is in your price or added later. The rules may have changed since that report, so confirm the current position with the agency.
This guide sits with our look at package taxes and service charge and the wider list of what a full-board package includes and excludes.
What was the tourism tax reported to be?
A 2017 news report said Malaysians and permanent residents were exempt, and foreign tourists were charged a flat RM10 per room per night for all hotel classifications [1]. Other notices from that period said registered accommodation operators collect it from guests.
We could not find a current official statement while preparing this page. Treat the figure as a reported starting point, and ask the agency or the Royal Malaysian Customs Department for the present rule.
Who might be affected?
Check who is in your group. A family of Malaysians travelling together is described as exempt in the report. A mixed group, for example with a visiting friend or relative, is the case to ask about.
| Group | What to ask |
|---|---|
| All Malaysian citizens or permanent residents | Is any tourism tax shown on the quote? |
| All foreign visitors | How is the tax counted, per room per night? |
| Mixed group | Which rooms are taxed, and how are shared rooms treated? |
| Group booked through a tour operator | Is the tax in the package or added by the resort? |
What does it come to in a sum?
Use the reported rate as an illustration only. Two foreign guests sharing one room for three nights would be one room times three nights, at RM10 each, a total of RM30 [1]. Two foreign guests in two rooms for three nights would be RM60 [1].
That is small against a package price, but it is one more line that can differ between two quotations. Put your real room count and nights into the island trip cost calculator once the agency confirms the rate.
How do you ask without confusion?
Send a short, clear request.
- Does my booking include any tourism tax?
- If a tax applies, is it already in the total?
- How is it counted, by room, by night or by person?
- Is anything payable at the resort desk?
- Will the invoice show the tax as a separate line?
Ask these before paying a deposit and keep the reply with your booking.
A better fit if…
Asking early may suit you if you travel with foreign friends or relatives, or if you compare quotations from several agencies. For an all-Malaysian group, the question still takes a minute and settles the point. Our guide on finding the real differences between two quotations shows how to line up the tax line with the rest.
Common questions
Do Malaysians pay tourism tax on an island package?
A 2017 report said Malaysians and permanent residents were exempt, with foreign tourists charged per room per night. That report is old, so confirm the current rules with the agency or Royal Malaysian Customs before you rely on it.
Who collects the tax?
Reports say registered accommodation operators collect it from guests. Ask your agency whether the resort is registered and whether the tax appears as a separate line on the invoice.
Is the tax per person or per room?
The 2017 report described a flat rate per room per night. Ask the agency whether this still applies, and how it counts two people sharing a room.
Is the tax included in the package price?
It may be, or it may be added later. Ask for the final total in writing and whether any tax is payable at the resort desk.
Sources
- The Edge Markets (2017 report) (accessed 2026-10-16)