According to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Malaysia has seen a rise in tourist arrivals from China and India this year compared to 2019. From January to September, the country welcomed 1.02 million tourists from China and over 472,000 from India, marking an increase of 42.2% and 87.6% respectively.
The minister’s statement came in response to a query from Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) about the ministry’s efforts to attract visitors from China and India. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also announced on Nov 27 that tourists from these two countries would be granted 30-day visa-free travel starting today.
This decision was made in celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China next year. Tiong was also pressed to outline the positive impact of this visa exemption on Malaysia’s goal of attracting 25 million foreign tourists in 2024. He emphasized that this initiative could greatly boost tourism in the country by attracting a large number of visitors from both India and China.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that tourist facilities and amenities are well-maintained, and that the country offers competitive and appealing tourism products. Additionally, Tiong highlighted the need to focus on factors that contribute to the economic progress of the country, rather than turning every issue into a religious or racial one, in order to instill confidence in tourists visiting Malaysia.
When asked about the potential expansion of the visa exemption to other countries, Tiong indicated that any decision in this regard would be made by the Home Ministry.
