Malaysia ranks ninth in the list of the 10 most popular tourist attractions in the world, said the Malaysian Minister of Tourism Ng Yen Yen.

The country, which attracted 23 million foreign visitors in 2010, together with China , is one of only two Asian countries on the list.

The minister said that the tourist industry has entered the higher ranking thanks to being a safe country to travel in and its excellent cuisine.

The Tourist Ministry is targeting 36 million foreign visitors per annum by 2020, which is expected to earn a revenue of 3 billion Ringgit (900 million USD) a week./.