We can take steps to attract even more tourists
TOURISM Malaysia has just released the latest visitor arrival figures to Malaysia up to August this year. It showed a 0.3% decrease from 17,343,557 for the corresponding period last year to 17,289,226.
Considering there was a 3% drop in visitors for the whole of last year, it was comforting to note that the tourism authorities and industry players have managed to halt the slide for the first eight months of this year.
Singapore has long been the main source of visitors to Malaysia, but its numbers fell by 6.3% last year and 16.3% for this year until August.
Singaporeans have close ties with Malaysia. Many have homes in Johor and businesses throughout the country, apart from visiting for holidays, leisure and shopping activities. They may stay at hotels, but few engage the services of local tour operators as many Singaporeans are familiar with the Peninsula.
As such, the reduction of Singaporean tourists in terms of percentage but without a drop of total visitor arrivals is seen positively by local inbound tour operators. It only means the number of foreign tourists they could service has increased.
If Singaporean visitors were not included in the figures, we would have a small increase of visitors last year instead of a 3% decrease. Similarly, we would have a 14.2% increase for the first eight months of this year instead of a 0.3% drop.
In fact, there was an increase of visitors from 23 out of the top 25 countries that contributed the most number of visitors to Malaysia. This in contrast with the whole of last year when there was a decrease from 13 out of the top 25 countries.
The notable jump in visitor arrivals are from China (35.4%), South Korea (35.8%), India (11.5%), Taiwan (21.2%), Vietnam (55%) and the United States (29.6%).
Tourists from China will breach three million this year, South Korea exceed 600,000, India almost 600,000, and another 350,000 from the United States and Canada combined.
So, yes, more tourists are coming to Malaysia. But many more would come if adequate funding is spent on effective promotions and facilities to visitors, such as easing visa requirements and providing a more welcoming experience upon their arrival at our airports.