China News Service, Kuala Lumpur, February 29 (Reporter Chen Yue) This year’s Lunar New Year, according to local media, will usher in a “harvest season” for Malaysian tourism operators.
According to data released by Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Teo Keng Sin on February 24, during the Spring Festival, Malaysia received about 5,000 Chinese tourist groups, which are expected to bring Malaysia 1 billion to 1.5 billion ringgit (approximately 1 US dollar). 4.76 ringgit) economic benefits.
Zhang Qingxin said that since Malaysia and China implemented visa facilitation measures on December 1 last year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia has increased significantly.
"This is enough to prove the positive effects brought by the visa facilitation policy."
In Penang, which is popular with Chinese tourists, local tourism-related industry players have experienced a "bumper harvest".
Winnie Poh, the person in charge of the Nyonya restaurant in Penang, was planning to take a day off on the 16th day of the first lunar month, but in the face of the influx of Chinese tourists, she still opened the restaurant to welcome guests.
Winnie Poh said that Nyonya catering has always been loved by Chinese tourists. "After the visa exemption, the number of Chinese tourists visiting our restaurant has increased significantly."
In the lobby of the Olive Tree Hotel in Penang, hotel manager Xie Wenli specially arranged lanterns, couplets, citrus and other furnishings that are full of festive atmosphere for the Spring Festival.
Xie Wenli told reporters that since the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China, the number of Chinese tourists received by the hotel has increased significantly.
She hopes to use festive decorations familiar to Chinese tourists to give them the feeling of "going home for the New Year".
Data released by the hotel booking website AGODA on February 26 can confirm her feelings: in the first month of the implementation of the measures, the number of searches for accommodation in Malaysia by Chinese tourists increased fivefold month-on-month.
Visa facilitation measures have not only driven an upsurge of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia.
In a travel agency in Kuala Lumpur, a number of recommended Chinese travel routes are prominently listed.
Shop assistant Ms. Wang told reporters that Malaysian tourists feel that it is more convenient to travel to China now, and "more and more people are coming to ask."
It’s not just tourism operators who are “heartened” by the measures.
Lu Chengquan, president of the General Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Malaysia, said that the ACCCIM has 110,000 member merchants, many of whom maintain business ties with China. Now they can save the procedures, time, and fees for visa exchanges, facilitate merchants to negotiate business in China, and promote The exchanges between the two peoples have provided "very great convenience."
Xie Wenli also felt that in the past three months, the hotel had "significant growth" in business travelers and various Malaysia-China business exchange activities.
“I personally went to China to purchase the Spring Festival decorations for our Olive Tree Hotel. It’s so convenient to just leave.”
Malaysian Transport Minister Loke Siew Hock pointed out that the implementation of the visa facilitation policy has effectively promoted the connectivity and personnel exchanges between the two countries’ aviation industries.
According to predictions from the Malaysian Aviation Commission, direct flights and connected cities between the two countries have been increasing recently. Airlines from the two countries can provide 6.8 million seats for bilateral exchanges this year, a year-on-year increase of 95%.
"Airports across the country (Malaysia) welcome Chinese airlines." Loke Siu Fook said, hoping that more flights will connect more cities between Malaysia and China in the future.
Following Malaysia, China and Singapore officially entered into mutual visa exemption on February 9 this year.
According to "Lianhe Zaobao", data released by "Alipay+" on February 27 showed that during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese tourists' consumption in Singapore using "Alipay+" increased seven times compared with the same period last year, driving the country's retail, Consumption in catering and other tourism-related industries.
The Singapore Embassy in China stated on its social media that the visa-free agreement will strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries, promote mutual understanding, and bring more economic opportunities to Singapore and Singaporeans.
Many tourism industry players pointed out that with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand implementing or about to implement visa exemptions for Chinese tourists, Chinese tourists’ travel in the ASEAN region will become more “unhindered”, and the tourism industry of ASEAN countries can seize the opportunity and develop collaboratively.
In an interview with Singapore media, Zheng Jianquan, chairman of the Johor branch of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Industry Association, believed that under the visa-free policy, travel itineraries to Singapore and Johor can be "packaged" and then "linked" with other Southeast Asian countries, bringing the visa-free policy to The benefits are further amplified.
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