Malaysia’s tourism industry is hoping for more visitors over China’s eight-day Golden Week vacation to make up for years of weak business owing to pandemic disruptions.
The annual week-long event in China that includes the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day began on September 29 this year.
According to Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association vice president Mint Leong, arrivals have steadily increased from the Chinese market, even though they are still below pre-pandemic levels.
“Chinese tourists are returning to Malaysia in a slow and steady way because after the summer holiday in this Golden Week, we can see Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia, but the number is not as big as before. But they come and stay for at least five days and four nights. That’s an improvement over shorter stays,” she said.
Malaysia, according to Leong, is experiencing intense competition from other locations and has asked policymakers to embrace policies that will boost the country’s competitiveness as a destination, such as visa-on-arrival and longer visa periods, in order to attract travelers seeking prolonged post-pandemic experiences.
She noted that it is critical to act quickly to capitalise on the inflow of Northern Hemisphere travelers looking to escape winter at the end of the year.