KUALA LUMPUR: In the first half of the year, following the visa-free move for Indian nationals, Malaysia welcomed 537,493 such tourist arrivals or a whopping 89.3% increase compared with the same period last year.
From January to June last year, 283,885 Indian visitors had come into the country, according to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
The ministry said that in the same period in 2019 – a year before the Covid-19 pandemic crippled the tourism industry worldwide – Malaysia registered 354,486 travellers from the South Asian nation.
The current remarkable growth is set to be further boosted when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim makes an official visit to India this month, said Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
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“With the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to India, it is anticipated that one of the key discussions between the two governments will be to continue and potentially expand the visa-free policy, aiming to further boost tourism,” the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said in a special interview with The Star.
Indian nationals currently enjoy visa-free entry into Malaysia for up to 30 days. The policy, implemented on Dec 1 last year, will be in effect until Dec 31 this year.
The Indian government has reciprocated by allowing Malaysians to visit India on a 30-day double-entry electronic visa at no cost from July 1, 2024 until June 30, 2025. Applications can be made online through the Indian visa portal, with the e-tourist visa required to be used within 120 days of issuance.
The Indian High Commission in Malaysia clarified that existing rules regarding e-tourist visas and other categories will continue to apply. Those opting for normal paper visas via outsourced service providers or directly through the High Commission will still be required to pay the prescribed visa fees.
China, which also enjoys visa-free facility with Malaysia, has been a focus marketing area for the ministry.
Over the past year, its intensive actions to woo Chinese tourists have yielded much success. Now, the ministry wants to broaden its promotional efforts to other countries.
Tiong said it was important to focus on one market to achieve tangible results before expanding.
“For China, we keep going to different places, even tier-two and tier-three cities. It’s important to have a stable presence there. Once stable, we will keep expanding to other countries,” he said.
There are four tiers to categorise Chinese cities based on their economic progress, infrastructure, amenities and population size, with tier one at the top.
Facing some questions over the concentration of promotions in China, Tiong said the Tourism Malaysia Strategic Direction Plan for 2024-2026 outlined target markets based on priority levels.
For the highest priority, the focus within Asean is on Indonesia and Vietnam. For Asia (excluding Asean), the primary targets are China and India, and for the Oceania market, the emphasis is on Australia, without neglecting traditional markets like Singapore, Thailand and Brunei, he added.
The second tier includes markets such as South Korea, the Middle East and the United Kingdom, while third-tier targets include Taiwan and Germany.
The fourth includes emerging markets such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
For all these markets, Tiong said Tourism Malaysia will continue to create demand, increase traffic, and prioritise marketing to meet tourist arrival targets.
The minister said the Chinese market has responded very positively to Malaysia’s promotional moves.
One by one: Tiong says it is important to focus on one market to achieve tangible results before expanding. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
“We are not only promoting in the main cities but also expanding into second- and third-tier cities.
“However, connectivity issues such as lack of direct flights are posing a challenge,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to establish direct or charter flights to Malaysia from these second-tier cities.
From January to May, Malaysia has seen a 190.4% spike in tourists from China, with 1,185,050 visitors, compared with the same period in 2023.
By last month, Malaysia had received 41 new routes and charter flights from first- and second-tier cities in China.
Airlines such as AirAsia, Batik Air, Firefly and Malaysia Airlines, along with foreign carriers like China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, have enhanced connectivity with various Malaysian cities including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.
With this, the ministry is confident of reaching the target of five million Chinese tourists in 2024.
A 2023 Tourism Malaysia survey revealed that 47.3% of Chinese tourists prefer Sabah for its beaches and world-class dive spots like Sipadan Island. Kuala Lumpur follows with 33%.
Malaysia and China are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship this year, and earlier the top leadership of both countries had mutually agreed to extend the visa exemption programme for visitors from their countries to strengthen bilateral ties.
During Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s three-day official visit in June, both countries stated that China had agreed to extend its visa exemption facility for Malaysian citizens until the end of 2025, while Malaysia will do likewise for Chinese citizens until the end of 2026.
