KUALA LUMPUR: More tourists from India are heading here for their holidays to take advantage of the visa-free entry to Malaysia, says the head of a travel group.
India is among the top 10 tourist markets for Malaysia, said Malaysian Indian Tour and Travel Association president Datuk A. Aruldass.
He added that 90% of the flights from India to Malaysia are midnight hauls, also known as red-eye flights. A red-eye flight refers to a flight that departs at night and arrives the next morning.
He said Indian travellers have fewer daytime flights to Malaysia compared to nighttime flights. Daytime flights to Malaysia depart from New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai airports.
“Tourists from India prefer red-eye flights to Malaysia because they can board the planes right after they finish work.
“When they arrive in Malaysia early the next morning, they have more time to travel and shop.”
He revealed that half of the tourism trips to Malaysia from India are company-sponsored incentive trips for staff who have hit business targets.
The increase in the number of tourists coming to Malaysia from India followed the Malaysian government’s announcement to grant visa-free entry to citizens of China and India for stays of up to 30 days starting on Dec 1, 2023. The visa exemptions will last until Dec 31, 2024.
Aruldass said there has been an 80% increase in Indian tourists from 2023 to this year after the visa-free exemption was announced.
In the first quarter of 2023, there were 164,566 tourist arrivals from India, which went up to 296,594 this year.
“The number of trips to Malaysia from India have jumped following the announcement of the visa exemption scheme as visitors now don’t need to make their travel plans much earlier.”
Aruldass said most of them prefer to visit urban destinations.
“Tour operators are trying to get them to go to other destinations like Sabah, Sarawak and the East Coast but their numbers are still low,” he said.
He hopes that the visa waiver for Indian tourists can be extended up to Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Tour operator Datuk Thangavelu Kuppusamy said Indian tourist arrivals are expected to surpass pre-pandemic numbers.
“In recent years, there have been more Indian tourists coming here who are attracted to Malaysia’s diverse attractions and vibrant culture,” he said, mostly due to promotional campaigns targeting Indian travellers.
He added that most of these travellers comprise middle-class families and young professionals.
Kuala Lumpur, with its iconic Petronas Twin Towers, shopping districts and cultural sites, is the most visited place for Indian tourists, he added.
Genting Highlands is also popular with tourists from India for its theme parks and cool climate.
A tourist from India, Varsha Kumar, 25, came here for a short trip in April after the visa rules were relaxed.
The teaching assistant chose a red-eye flight to Kuala Lumpur to have more time to travel here.
“Entering Malaysia was a smooth process. I had a brief but fulfilling visit to Kuala Lumpur.”
Varsha said she enjoyed trying vegetarian pan mee and admiring Putrajaya’s architecture.
She plans to stay longer the second time by the year-end while the visa waiver is still in force.
For Kuala Lumpur resident Jocelyn Wong, 24, she is happy that India has waived visa fees for Malaysians starting July 1.
“I plan to attend the wedding of a close Indian friend in Rajasthan and the visa fee waiver is a great plus point,” said the marketing executive.
