MATTA urges visa waiver for Chinese tourists

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is lobbying the government to implement an immediate short-term visa exemption for Chinese visitors during next year's Lunar New Year period, in order to shore up arrivals from the market.

Hamzah Rahmat, president of MATTA, said in a statement: “Visa waivers and exemptions are an effective way of encouraging tourists to visit and spend time in a particular location.

“An immediate six-month visa exemption for China tourists, especially with the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, will help boost tourist arrivals and provide much needed stimulus to the local economy. We must not miss this opportunity.”

He raised the examples of Japan and Thailand, which both saw tourism arrivals increase substantially after visa regulations were scrapped.

According to Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s minister of tourism and culture, arrivals from China shrank by 11.8 per cent from January to July following the loss of Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines MH370 and kidnappings in Sabah. Reactions from the trade to MATTA’s call have been mixed.

Yap Sook Ling, managing director, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel welcomed the move and predicted it would stimulate the Chinese leisure market to Malaysia.

"Future bookings are soft, we cannot just wait and hope clients will come. This will entice Chinese travellers to come to Malaysia," she said.

However, Adam Kamal, deputy president 2, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said: "I don't know if this will make a big improvement in arrivals as many Chinese travellers would already have made their holiday plans for the Lunar New Year period."

-TTG Asia.