According to Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo, the 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian nationals has led to an increase in local tourism, with more rooms being booked for the festive season in Johor. He also mentioned that the visa-free initiative implemented by Singapore for China will likely result in more Chinese tourists crossing over to Johor during their visit to Singapore.
Teo went on to say that there has been a notable increase in bookings for the first two days of Chinese New Year, a time when Johor is typically quiet, as well as non-Chinese Singaporeans wanting to spend their holidays in Johor.
Tourism Johor director Sharil Nizam Abdul Rahim expressed optimism, stating that ongoing projects initiated by the federal and state governments as part of preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 would help attract more tourists to Malaysia.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong commented on the 30-day visa-free initiative for China and India, mentioning that there hasn’t been a surge in arrivals from both countries, possibly due to certain segments of tourists still recovering from the economic impact of the pandemic. Furthermore, he noted that Malaysia has to compete with other countries in the region also offering visa-free programs to these tourists.
Leong also mentioned that Chinese New Year is typically a period where industry players see a spike in the number of tourists, predominantly from China, and expressed readiness on the part of the Johor Tourist Guides Association to assist the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture if the need arises.
