In the revised Budget 2016 announcement, China tourists were exempted from visa for a 15-day stay in Malaysia starting from March 1 to December 31 this year.
With free visa for Chinese tourists, Malaysia can expect to attract more tourists from China. This measure will definitely act as a catalyst to boost tourism and the economy.
According to Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destination Ranking list, Kuala Lumpur is one of the top 10 city destinations for tourists in the world. According to the report, 11.63 million visitors visited KL in 2014, showing a 4% increase in tourist arrivals from the previous year.
The entire list were Asian-dominated, largely due to the large number of Chinese travellers in the region. The report also stated that visa relaxations are expected to ensure continued growth of city arrivals for the coming years.
Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) said the visa exemption is timely as the economy could benefit earlier from an expected boom of Chinese tourist arrival. ACCIM hopes that the visa relaxation will be implemented with immediate effect so that we don’t miss out on peak season of Chinese tourists.
The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) also expressed their support as the tour and travel industry had been waiting eagerly for this measure for years. MATTA said that it’s about time because we are one of the last ASEAN countries to do so.
