Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur is abuzz with Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia for Golden Week, eager to explore the cultural landmarks and experience the vibrant pulse of the city. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The increase in direct and charter flights between China and Malaysia, coupled with mutual visa-free policies, has led to a notable rise in Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia this year, especially those who prefer flexible travel options.
Industry players suggest that these numbers may soon surpass pre-pandemic figures in 2019.
In the first eight months of this year, Malaysia welcomed 2,285,785 Chinese tourists, marking a 160% increase compared to the same period last year.
In 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia received 3.1 million tourists from China.
In May this year, China had agreed to extend its visa-free policy for Malaysian tourists until the end of 2025, and the visa-free duration per trip was extended from 15 to 30 days.
The Malaysian government later announced an extended visa exemption for Chinese travellers until the end of 2026.
Travel groups have reported that many Chinese tourists took advantage of the visa-free policy during China’s Golden Week, from Oct 1 to 7, allowing them to travel freely in Malaysia, nearly reaching the 2019 levels of tourism.
Chinese visitors spent RM9.05bil in Malaysia between January and June.
The Golden Week is China’s longest holiday stretch and a significant time for family reunions and travel.
It was also reported that Alipay transactions by Chinese users in overseas markets increased by over 60% during the first four days of the holiday compared to the same period in 2023, with Malaysia being one of the top destinations.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong believes the increase in Chinese tourists during Golden Week was due to the recent visa policy relaxations.
“The Chinese still see Malaysia as an attractive, accessible, affordable and tourist-friendly destination. They also resonate strongly with the local Malaysian Chinese culture,” he said when contacted.
Wong noted that while Chinese tourists favour islands and nature spots in the East Coast states in the peninsula, Sabah and Langkawi, there is a growing market for urban places in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Paul Paw, life president of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association, agreed that Chinese tourist numbers are nearing the 2019 level.
He urged the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to establish more direct flights and charter services from China’s tier-three cities.
“Direct flights will attract more Chinese tourists to Malaysia and allow local tour groups to plan more tours to China, creating a win-win situation,” he said.
Earlier, Tourism Malaysia director-general P. Manoharan said the number of weekly flights from China to Kuala Lumpur had already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, rising from 370 to 438.
“Pre-pandemic, we didn’t have visa exemptions for Chinese tourists, which now acts as a major attraction for them,” he added.
Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Lim Choong Sean reported mixed results for Chinese arrivals during Golden Week.
“While cities like Kuala Lumpur saw increased hotel occupancy, overall it didn’t meet expectations,” he said, adding that some travellers may have opted for alternative accommodations like Airbnb.
However, Lim said July and August showed a more positive trend, with Chinese tourists boosting hotel occupancy by 10% to 20% as families travelled during the summer holidays.
