PETALING JAYA: China has been Malaysia’s largest source of tourists outside Asean countries for seven consecutive years, marking a historic milestone in bilateral relations.
The year 2019 witnessed an impressive 3,795,800 bilateral people-to-people exchanges between the two nations before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia.
The embassy has consistently prioritised and actively fostered exchanges and cooperation across various domains between the two nations. Continuous efforts have been dedicated to streamlining people-to-people exchanges to enhance the mutual benefits of the friendly relations between China and Malaysia.
In a statement yesterday, the embassy reported processing close to 260,000 visas in 2023, with a peak of over 4,000 visa applications handled in a single day.
On a positive note, Malaysia’s local tourism industry expressed optimism regarding the proactive efforts of the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac) in promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination in major Chinese cities.
Coupled with the recently announced visa-free policy, industry players told The Star the country anticipates welcoming approximately five million Chinese tourists to Malaysia in the upcoming year.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong expressed their commitment to achieving this target set by Motac.
In anticipation of the return of Chinese tourists, Malaysia has initiated various efforts. MOTAC, Tourism Malaysia, and MATTA have organized trade missions while emphasizing the importance of targeted marketing strategies and government incentives like grants to engage tourism stakeholders. The introduction of visa-free arrivals is expected to pique the interest of Chinese and Indian tourists. MICA highlighted critical factors—flights, visa exemptions, business tourism, and tourism services—necessary for success.
Despite flight capacity accommodating only three million visitors from China, efforts aim to attract the remaining two million through neighboring countries. Collaboration with neighboring nations encourages tourists to visit Malaysia after their travels there. The visa-free policy has attracted business groups, and Mita aims to attract five million Chinese tourists in 2024, focusing on increased flights and direct routes.
The hotel industry foresees benefits but expresses concern about unregistered accommodations affecting their success. Despite lower-than-expected foreign tourist numbers, the industry anticipates a significant increase in Chinese tourist occupancy rates due to the free visa policy, potentially surpassing a 30% increase.
(source: The Star)
