Tiong: Motac targets 7 mln Chinese tourist arrivals this year

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) in collaboration with tourism industry players including Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (Mica), is targeting seven million inbound Chinese tourist arrivals this year, said its minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing.

He said leveraging on the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, which was launched last December, is the way forward to achieve the target.

“The Muslim Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) is also targeting at least one million tourist arrivals this year. Malaysia has already witnessed a substantial surge in tourist arrivals from both China and

India since the implementation of the visa-waiver policy.

“In November 2023, Malaysia welcomed 124,000 visitors from China and 52,000 from India. This number grew significantly in December, with 168,000 tourists from China and 84,000 from India, reflecting a robust monthon-month increase of 35.1 per cent and 60.9 per cent respectively.

“These statistics greatly enhance our confidence in promoting Malaysia Tourism for the remainder of the year,” Tiong said in a Facebook post yesterday.

He pointed out that Motac is dedicated to improving tourism sectors, and hoped for the support of all related parties, industry players as well as Malaysians for initiatives under the ministry.

Additionally, Tiong said collaboration with state governments and local tourism expos is crucial as well.

The Bintulu MP also announced a sum of RM50,000 will be allocated to Mica as a gesture of support for their efforts to boost, educate and promote the inbound tourism industry.