MALAYSIA -The Malaysia China Welfare Advisory Society has advocated for the permanent implementation of the visa-free regime between Malaysia and China.
According to its vice-president Teh Choon Jin, Malaysia has seen a sharp increase in Chinese tourists since the temporary implementation of the policy in December of last year, and the tourism sector will gain greatly from a permanent visa-free policy.
“Establishing a permanent visa-free policy will also greatly improve our two countries’ bilateral relations and spur economic growth.”
Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia, backed up his statement by stating that 1.47 million Chinese visitors visited Malaysia in total last year.
Since there are already 247 flights every week connecting our two countries, we are optimistic that we will receive over five million tourists from there.
“There are approximately 4.9 million seats available from various destinations in China to Kuala Lumpur in terms of seat capacity.”
According to a Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association poll, more than 80% of Chinese visitors had nice things to say about Malaysia.
Chinese visitors have been attracted to explore Malaysia’s rich legacy, vibrant culture, and numerous attractions due to the country’s visa-free status, which has made travel easier.
Additionally, Malaysia is marketed in China as the best place to travel, invest, and do business.
According to Teh, smooth travel between the two nations is critical to advancing both cultural and economic relations.
“Maintaining this momentum and boosting the travel, retail, hospitality, and entertainment industries will be made possible by a permanent visa-free policy.”
Teh added that with RM899 billion in bilateral commerce between Malaysia and China last year, China has been Malaysia’s top trading partner for 15 years running, citing the latest figures from the Malaysia External Commerce Development Corporation.
“Over time, strong economic ties, expanding tourism, and cultural exchanges have all contributed to the blossoming of bilateral relations between our two countries.”
According to Teh, a permanent policy would improve the two countries’ friendship in real ways.
The more people interact with one another, the more mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation there will be.
“Trade, investment, and business collaborations will be further promoted by the proliferation of cultural events, educational initiatives, and business partnerships between our two nations.”
According to Teh, implementing a permanent visa-free regime will also help Malaysia maintain its reputation as one of China’s top tourist destinations and promote return trips.
“Responsible tourist activities and the ideals of sustainable tourism are further promoted by permanent visa exemptions.
“By putting it into practice, Malaysia can improve its attractiveness as an investment destination and encourage more exchanges between businesspeople, investors, and diplomats from both countries.”
