PETALING JAYA: The news of Malaysians getting to enjoy 15-day visa-free travel to China from next month and possible reciprocal action for Chinese nationals coming to the country has got tourism players excited.
The reciprocal gesture is likely to see Malaysia offering Chinese nationals visa-free travel of up to 30 days.
The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia announced the good news on its website and official TikTok account yesterday.
“To further facilitate the exchange of people between China and Malaysia, starting from 12am on Dec 1, 2023, until 11:59pm on Nov 30, 2024, Malaysian passport holders can enter China for business, tourism, visiting relatives or transit purposes for up to 15 days without a visa.
“Individuals who do not meet the requirements or time limit for visa exemption should still obtain a visa before entering China,” it said in a statement on its website.
The embassy said previously issued visas to Malaysians are still valid, and visa applications that have already been accepted will be processed as usual.
In September, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing announced that a policy related to visa-free travel for Chinese tourists would be made soon.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had directed the Home Ministry to draft a report on the matter.
During his recent trip to the China-Asean Expo (CAExpo) in Nanning, China, Anwar said it would be best if both countries could offer visa-free arrivals for tourists.
When contacted yesterday, an official from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry directed queries to the Home Ministry.
The Star has reached out to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for comment.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong expressed hope for the government to make an announcement about its reciprocal action soon.
“While we may not be able to meet the number of tourists we hoped for, we can still welcome more tourists from China for the year-end holidays if this move is implemented.
“It will be a great stimulus to both countries’ tourism economies.
“We congratulate our government on this and hope that this arrangement can be extended to other countries in the near future,” he said when contacted.
Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association national president Paul Paw said it would be a win-win situation for both countries, especially during the year-end travelling season.
In China’s recent Golden Week Holiday period, Paw said fellow association members and tour operators had reported an increase of at least 40% in Chinese tourist arrivals.
“With this visa-free convenience, all layers of tourism players can benefit from it,” he said.
He, too, hopes that the government will make the reciprocal announcement soon.
Inbound Tourism Alliance chairman Uzaidi Udanis said the government was taking the necessary time to finalise the announcement of the visa-free travel, seeing that it involved a government-to-government decision.
He highlighted that this mutual agreement differs from Thailand’s approach of offering visa-free travel to Chinese tourists for a temporary campaign until February 2024.
Malaysia’s initiative requires consensus from both countries.
“We hope that once our reciprocal action is announced, it will be a permanent or long-term arrangement,” he added.
Uzaidi said Malaysia needed to act swiftly and assertively in enhancing its tourism products and offers, given the still-weak market and competitive global environment.
“We need to make it easier for travellers to come visit.
“Emerging destinations like Saudi Arabia are also vying for Chinese tourists.
“Hopefully, we can attract travellers for the year-end and build up the momentum to welcome more visitors for the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays,” he said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong described it as a “wonderful gift” in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China relations.
“When tabling Budget 2024 last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the Malaysia Visa Liberalisation Plan, which I also supported during my debate (in Parliament) as it will benefit both countries.
“I believe Malaysia and China will continue to build on our strong bilateral ties in the years to come,” said Dr Wee, who is also the Ayer Hitam MP.
