Free Visa Offer Timely, Can Help Achieve Tourist Arrival Targets

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The government's offer of fee-free visas to foreign tourists is seen as a good move towards realising the target of 29.4 million tourist arrivals in Malaysia this year.

Malaysia Bumiputera Tourism and Travel Agencies Association (Bumitra) president, Datuk Syed Mohd Razif Al Yahya Syed Yassin said the tourism industry needed to assist the government by having more promotions to attract tourists to this country.

"The visa fee-free (VFF) move could boost the national economy. This is the time for the tourism industry to help the government increase national income," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He was asked to comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's announcement today on the VFF offer in his special address on current developments and the government's financial position. Najib said the VFF offer to foreign tourists, among them from China, was part of the strategies to ensure balanced economic growth, inclusiveness and sustainability.

Syed Mohd Razif also described it as the best solution to draw back tourists from China to Malaysia after the drop in their number following the missing MH370 incident.

According to the Tourism and Culture Ministry's website, the number of tourist arrivals from China dropped by 11.2 per cent to 1.38 million for the January-October period last year from 1.56 million in the same period in 2013.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president, Hamzah Rahmat sees the VFF as a good measure to make Malaysia a major tourism destination, thus contributing further to the country's economic growth.

"Besides, it could enhance Malaysia's relations with other countries, including China, in other aspects as well like economy." He said the announcement on VFF by the prime minister was timely, nevertheless the government could not afford to be lax on the issue of security in relation to tourist arrivals in the country.

Mutiara Taman Negara Resort Pahang operations manager Satiyasilan Maniam is confident the VFF offer will bring in more foreign tourists to the National Park with its estimated 130 million-year-old rainforest.

He said the number of tourists from China visiting Taman Negara was low, so perhaps the VFF offer could increase their number. Satiyasilan said services provided to tourists by all the industry players also needed to be improved towards excellence to encourage return visits.
-bernama.