A plethora of destinations offered at the travel fair.
HUNDREDS of visitors flocked to Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur for the inaugural “Nihao! China” Travel Fair.
The event, held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, was held to promote two-way tourism between the countries.
The three-day fair was organised by the Malaysia-China Folklore Culture Tourism Association and supported by the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia as well as Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
With up to 37 booths offering tours to various parts of China, visitors to the fair could choose from travel packages and promotions presented by travel agencies and airlines.
To add to the liveliness of the occasion, a lion dance troupe strutted and escorted guests as the event kicked off.
A promoter offering titbits to Yasmin (second from right) with (from second left) Liao, Liu and Chang at the opening ceremony. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
This was followed by a dance performance by the Ningxia Performing Arts Group.
Ningxia, a province of around 6.8 million people in the north-central region of China, was the event’s host province.
There were interesting holographic displays featuring tourism attractions in Ningxia and various other destinations in China.
A mini petting zoo with animals such as goats, alpacas, snakes and parrots was also an attraction.
“We believe this travel fair will further promote tourism cooperation between Malaysia and China,” said Malaysia-China Folklore Culture Tourism Association president Penny Liao in her speech.
She added that the fair would help the people of both countries understand each other’s culture better.
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board chairman Yasmin Mahmood, representing Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, was the guest of honour.
In her speech, Yasmin noted that there had been a remarkable 231.9% growth of tourist arrivals from China from January to April 2024 compared to the corresponding period last year.
“By continuing to work closely together, we can ensure a prosperous future for our tourism industries and our nations as a whole,” Yasmin added.
The embassy’s cultural counsellor Chang Shan said the current visa-free policy played a significant role in aiding two-way tourism.
Chang said the travel fair was also significant owing to the upcoming official visit of China’s Premier Li Qiang to Malaysia.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Ningxia culture and tourism department deputy director-general Liu Zhibin, China Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur director Zhang Jiexin, China Southern Airlines general manager (Malaysia) Eric Wang Xu, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (M) Bhd chief operating officer Xie Shaoxiong, Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association president Paul Paw, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents honorary treasurer Kho Kwang Peow and Kuala Lumpur Pavilion Sdn Bhd retail chief executive officer Datuk Joyce Yap.
