KUALA LUMPUR: Recently, Malaysia was ranked fourth best architecture in Asia, surpassing architectural powerhouses like Hong Kong, South Korea, and India.

The iconic Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur has been a significant contributor to this recognition.

Insider Monkey reported the iconic towers have attracted 20.14 million tourists, with 30,000 reviews on TripAdvisor, making them the second-best-rated architectural landmark in Malaysia.

Malaysia, with its 20.14 million tourists, ranks fourth, demonstrating the country’s significant appeal to architecture enthusiasts worldwide.

China tops the list with 65.73 million tourists annually, followed by Thailand with 28.15 million tourists, and Japan with 25.07 million visitors.

The top 10 list was compiled using a consensus approach.

Initially, ten reports and rankings online were consulted, and countries mentioned in at least 50% of these sources were shortlisted.

These countries were then ranked based on their 2023 tourist arrivals, with the hypothesis that good architecture attracts more tourists.

Tourism data were sourced from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), with additional insights from Tripadvisor, The International Architecture Awards, and The Pritzker Architecture Prize.

According to data from TripAdvisor Inc., tourism in the Asian region is expected to flourish in the coming months.

Malaysia’s architectural marvels are poised to draw even more visitors, further enhancing its status as a top architectural destination.

Top 10 Asian Countries for Architecture

1. China – 65.73 million tourists

2. Thailand – 28.15 million tourists

3. Japan – 25.07 million tourists

4. Malaysia – 20.14 million tourists

5. India – 27.91 million tourists

6. Hong Kong – 17.16 million tourists

7. Macau – 14.23 million tourists

8. Vietnam – 12.60 million tourists

9. South Korea – 11.03 million tourists

10. Taiwan – 6.49 million tourists