Malaysia extends visa exemption for Chinese travellers

 

Malaysian leadership announced an extended visa exemption for Chinese travellers until end of 2026 during Chinese premier Li Qiang’s recent three-day official visit to Malaysia.

The 30-day visa exemption was first announced by Malaysia prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in November 2023, and it came into effect on December 1.

In May this year, China had agreed to extend its visa-free policy for Malaysian tourists until the end of 2025 and the visa-free duration per trip had also been extended from 15 to 30 days.

Anwar and Li said in a joint statement that they welcomed the keen interest in continuing consultations and discussions on mutual visa exemptions to facilitate the entry of Malaysian and Chinese citizens.

Uzaidi Udanis, chairman of the Consortium of Inbound Tourism Alliance, opined that the visa exemption for Chinese travellers to Malaysia as well as Malaysians travelling to China, will allow the travel trade from Malaysia and China to continue with their campaigns and promotions to attract quality tourists and niche segments such as business travellers from both countries.

He shared: “It is also a timely announcement by the Malaysian prime minister as Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026. It will encourage more Chinese travellers to visit Malaysia and help the country achieve its target of 35.6 million tourists and target receipts of RM147.1 billion (US$31.2 billion).

“China is very important market as it is the top medium-haul inbound market in terms of number of tourists. Also, with this latest announcement, it will encourage airlines (based in) Malaysia and China to improve their connectivity and frequencies between Malaysia and China.”

-TTG Asia.

WCT Malls Kick Off WARNAI RAYA Festive Campaign With Exciting Shopping Deals And Rewards

 

SEPANG, 21 March 2023 – WCT Malls Management Sdn Bhd, the property investment and management business under WCT Holdings Berhad (“WCT Group”) unveiled its Warnai Raya festive celebration theme in collaboration with SuriaFM Station and Tourism Malaysia to welcome the 2023 Ramadan and Hari Raya festive season at WCT Malls - Paradigm Mall Petaling Jaya, Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru, gateway@klia2 and SkyPark Terminal.

This partnership aims to promote Malaysia as a top destination for cultural experiences, especially during the Raya festivities. The “Warnai Raya” campaign that is slated for 17 March 2023 to 7 May 2023 will feature meet and greet sessions with SuriaFM DJs, traditional Malay dances, batik drawing activities, batik fashion show, Ramadan bazaars, Hari Raya festive booths, limited-edition green packet giveaway, as well as Batik premiums redemption.

The collaboration between WCT Malls and SuriaFM is aimed at providing an avenue for local artists to showcase their talents while highlighting the diversity and richness of Malaysia’s culture. In complementing this effort, the concourses across WCT Malls will be transformed to a Batik Factory made of wooden kampung structures together with floral batik motifs that reflects the country’s rich heritage, culture, and traditions. Shoppers who visit the Batik Factory at the concourse can also grab the opportunity to take Instagrammable photos while immersing themselves in the many activities and performances available during the campaign.

Selena Chua, Chief Executive Officer – WCT Malls Management said, “WCT Malls constantly strives to explore innovative and exciting ways to organise events, activities and promotions. As we approach the holy month of Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, we are humbled to be collaborating with SuriaFM to support local entertainment and to foster a sense of belonging among the community surrounding our malls during this significant festive celebration in Malaysia and globally.

As the Holy Month of Ramadan and Hari Raya celebrates forgiveness, gratitude, and togetherness, we hope that the WCT Malls “Warnai Raya” campaign, in partnership with our local radio station will bring people together and create a sense of harmony and unity.

In addition, WCT Malls is also partnering with the local communities and organisations to organize various events including Batik exhibitions, Jawi Calligraphy workshops, Wayang Kulit shows by the Malaysia Property Association, Batik Painting workshops by Malaysian Cultural Kampung, Ketupat Hunt at Paradigm Mall PJ, Raya bazaars, and workshops – all to cultivate and celebrate the rich and diverse culture of the Malay heritage.”

Dato Dr Mohd Aminuddin bin Mohd Rouse, Chairman of Star Media Group, said, "We are delighted to be partnering with WCT Malls for the "Warnai Raya" campaign. As a media group, we believe in the power of storytelling and we look forward to sharing the stories of our people, culture, and traditions that make the Raya season special. We hope that our collaboration will help to spread festive cheer and encourage more people to join in the celebration."

Meanwhile, Datuk Mohd Zamri bin Mat Zain, Deputy Secretary General (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, also expressed his support for the campaign, “The “Warnai Raya” campaign not only promotes our cherished heritage to a wider audience but also supports local artists and artisans by providing them with a platform to showcase their talents and sell their unique creations.”

“One of our first collaborations with WCT Malls was last year’s successful ShoppingExtravaganza! Campaign, which generated RM2.7 million in sales. We are delighted to continue this partnership and we are optimistic that the tourist reward programme will not only incentivise international tourists to spend more, especially in the shopping segment, but also drive significant growth in the travel industry, and ultimately, contribute to the economic development of our nation,” added Datuk Mohd Zamri, who launched the campaign on behalf of YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

WCT Malls is also delighted to announce its joint efforts with Tourism Malaysia in promoting Malaysia’s rich cultural festivities to international tourists by showcasing the beauty of Batik at all WCT Malls, adding the unique Malaysian experience for both local and international visitors.

In conjunction with the "Warnai Raya" campaign, WCT Malls is also partnering with Visa Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia to launch a tourist reward programme in providing exciting travel incentives during this festive season. From 1 April 2023 to 30 September 2023, international shoppers who spend a minimum amount in participating WCT Malls will be rewarded with a complimentary Starbucks drink. The available selection will include Caffe Latte, Americano, Freshly Cold Brewed, Caramel Frappuccino, and Mocha Frappuccino. A total of 10,000 cups of complimentary Starbucks drink will be rewarded to eligible international shoppers on a first come first served basis.

On the other hand, in collaboration with Grab PayLater, WCT Malls will also be launching its 10th Voucher Bonanza Sales, starting from 1 April to 30 June 2023. Voucher Bonanza Sale offers 20% off for shoppers who purchase WCT e-vouchers which can be used at over 300 participating outlets across WCT Malls, namely Paradigm Mall PJ, JB, and gateway@klia2. There are total of RM 300,000 WCT Malls’ e-voucher up for grab, shopper who purchase RM100 only need to pay RM80 to enjoy the full RM100. Shoppers can purchase the e-vouchers at bit.ly/WCTMALLS-VBS9.

During this Raya season, WCT Malls is excited to offer Grab PayLater users even more ways to save. Shoppers who uses GrabPay’s Buy Now Pay Later feature to shop at WCT Malls will be entitled to an additional RM 30 off on their purchase with a minimum spend of RM 200 required.

-Tourism Malaysia.

Shopping Extravaganza! With WCT Malls, Tourism Malaysia And VISA

 

PETALING JAYA, 13 July 2022 – WCT Malls Management Sdn Bhd, the property investment and management business under WCT Holdings Berhad ("WCT Group"), has entered into a tripartite collaboration with Tourism Malaysia and Visa, the world leader in digital payments, to promote Malaysia as the most desirable tourist destination, particularly among inbound travellers as the country moves into the endemic phase.

Through this agreement, which aims to boost the country’s economic recovery and growth following the two-year pandemic outbreak, the three organisations today kicked off a series of campaigns under the theme #SHOPPINGEXTRAVAGANZA! The campaigns are to be launched across WCT Malls, namely, Paradigm Mall PJ, Paradigm Mall JB, gateway@klia2, and SkyPark Terminal to reward shoppers.

As the country is moving towards normality after the pandemic, people are looking forward to more exciting and interesting events. As such, it is vital for the retail business to develop more stimulating activities to entice visitors while adapting to the new normal.

Dato’ Hj. Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia said, “We are delighted to commemorate the partnership with Visa by venturing into a collaboration with WCT Malls. With irresistible offers and promotions by both WCT Malls and Visa, we hope that this campaign will further increase tourist spending, particularly in the shopping segment, and in return contribute to tremendous growth in our travel industry.”

“While we are known for our natural wonders and warm hospitality, Malaysia also takes pride as a value-for-money destination, and a shopper’s paradise. I believe that this campaign will offer a more exciting shopping experience for our domestic and international tourists alike, especially from our neighbouring countries and the ASEAN region, who remain the major contributors to Malaysia’s international tourist arrivals even during the pandemic,” he added.

Selena Chua, Chief Executive Officer, WCT Malls Management said, "After two years of the pandemic, families and friends are finally celebrating their life moments in person today. We are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience in celebrating this long-awaited moment now that things are picking up again. It has always been our utmost priority, besides rewarding them with something exciting after so long."

"Furthermore, WCT Malls are confident that the tripartite partnership with Visa and Tourism Malaysia will enable us to further boost the malls’ footfall and stimulate spending from both our shoppers and international travellers. We believe that this collaboration would be a worthwhile endeavour in celebrating this moment. Moving forward, customers can expect more intriguing campaigns and events from WCT Malls."

WCT Malls are excited to announce their series of campaigns that will take place in the second half of 2022. Among the malls’ exciting offerings are Paradigm Mall PJ’s Gundam event and Mid-autumn festival, Pet Expo and AnimeFest that will be happening in Paradigm Mall JB, Jom, Kartun Together-gether and Glamping in the Airport at gateway@klia2 and many more.

To kick off this tripartite partnership between the three organisations, there will be a Spend & Redeem campaign in which 6,300 denim tote bags will be distributed to shoppers across all WCT Malls from July 15 onwards. As part of its effort to reward its customers, WCT Malls are offering 2x WCT Buddy points for those who spend RM200 and above using the Maybank VISA card throughout the campaign period.

In addition, to further amplify and add excitement to this effort, WCT Malls and Visa will also be introducing the Voucher Bonanza Sales, where shoppers will get to enjoy a great 20% savings when they purchase a WCT E-Voucher using a valid Visa card. There will be a total of RM500,000 worth of shopping vouchers awaiting to be redeemed and they will be made available through EasyStore. Each shopper may purchase up to RM2,000 worth of vouchers in total for two subcategories, namely Category A for home appliances and IT gadgets, and Category B for retail, fashion, and retail related products and services. These vouchers can be utilised across all WTC Malls, namely Paradigm Mall PJ, Paradigm Mall JB, gateway@klia2 and Subang Skypark.

Ng Kong Boon, Visa Malaysia’s Country Manager said, “This tripartite collaboration with Tourism Malaysia and WCT Malls is extremely timely, especially given the return of travel, where we are excited to welcome more tourists coming into Malaysia. Through this strategic partnership, we are leveraging on our Visa Preferred Merchant programme to offer cardholders access to exclusive offers for accommodation, air tickets, dining, shopping, and medical wellness. These benefits will help to optimise travellers’ shopping experiences in Malaysia, boost domestic and inbound tourism, and promote Malaysia as a leading travel destination in the world.”

“Based on Visa’s data, Malaysia's top spending corridors are coming from Singapore, the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia. Our survey also indicated that 76 percent of respondents highlighted experiencing local cuisine and culture was their top motivation in travelling, and that includes shopping.”

Ng further added that Visa will continue to leverage its data analytics capabilities to generate traveller insights that will improve travellers' experiences.

Recently, as Malaysia's borders began to reopen on April 1 after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, Visa has established a long-term relationship with Tourism Malaysia to support the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in driving inbound travel and promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination.

WCT Malls are all geared to welcome back visitors and tourists for an enjoyable getaway experience. Moving forward, WCT Malls will continue to explore opportunities to further collaborate with the government, organisations, and other industry players through various events, campaigns, and other exciting initiatives that could help boost the country’s tourism industry.

For more information about the festivities and promotions of each mall, kindly visit wctbuddy.com.my.

Websites:
Paradigm PJ: www.paradigmmall.com.my
Paradigm Mall JB Website: www.paradigmmall.com.my/jb
gateway@klia2: www.gatewayklia2.com.my
Skypark Terminal: http://www.subangskypark.com

-Tourism Malaysia.

Visa And Tourism Malaysia Enter Into Strategic Partnership To Grow Tourism To Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 March 2020 - Visa Malaysia has entered a long-term partnership with Tourism Malaysia to support the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in driving inbound tourism and promote Malaysia as a preferred travel destination.

In the spirit of Visit Malaysia 2020, Tourism Malaysia and Visa mark an important partnership to drive inbound tourists, and drive Malaysia to be a preferred destination for travel especially in shopping segment. 

Shopping in Malaysia is considered one of the popular tourist activities due to the favourable exchange rates, quality of products, and diversity of choices. According to Tourism Malaysia, for the past four straight years, shopping was the biggest share of tourist expenditure for Malaysia, taking up 35.2 per cent of the total tourist receipts in Jan-Sept 2019 at RM 23.3 billion. This showed an increase of 14.4 per cent compared to 2018. 

Visa will be harnessing its data analytics capabilities and research to generate useful traveller insights. Through collaborative co-creation with Tourism Malaysia, this will help to transform tourists’ travel experiences when they visit Malaysia.

The partnership will also leverage on Visa Preferred Merchant Programme (VPM) which features a variety of rewards and benefits popular amongst tourists visiting Malaysia. The benefits include dining, shopping, family entertainment and medical wellness offers for Visa cardholders. These benefits will be shared through Visa and Tourism Malaysia’s digital media and distribution channels globally. In addition, Visa will also help to promote domestic tourism in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia’s Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign and share a variety of offers that are relevant for local Visa cardholders.

Present at the signing ceremony was Datuk Musa Hj. Yusof, Director General Tourism Malaysia. He said, “MOTAC and Tourism Malaysia have embarked on several efforts to promote Malaysia as a must-visit tourism destination and we want to provide a conducive environment for businesses in Malaysia to drive and boost tourism growth. With Visa coming on board as a preferred payments partner to help promote Malaysia as a tourist destination, we are confident that we can attract more inbound tourists and enhance their experiences here in the country.”

“Visa is excited to collaborate with Tourism Malaysia to promote Truly Asia Malaysia. This strategic partnership is a milestone for both Visa and Tourism Malaysia. Malaysia has many outstanding travel spots, and we want to help achieve Tourism Malaysia’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top tourist destinations. We are able to leverage our analytics capabilities to provide insights on travellers visiting Malaysia and our extensive global network to further help Tourism Malaysia promote Malaysia as a leading tourist destination in the world,” said Ng Kong Boon, Visa Country Manager for Malaysia. 

“In addition, Visa has more than 3.4 billion cards worldwide, and enabling our cardholders to make full use of their privileges when they travel using our preferred merchant programme is important to us,” added Ng Kong Boon.

-Tourism Malaysia.

In support of inbound tourism

Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall. At the event, (from left) Ng, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division director Syed Yahya Syed Othman, Tourism Malaysia Package Development Division Secretariat Shopping Malaysia head, Norliza Md Zain and Mid Valley City chief executive officer Daniel Yong.

KUALA LUMPUR: In support of Visit Malaysia 2020, and its target of achieving 30 million international tourist arrivals, Visa has unrolled a series of initiatives to promote inbound tourism.

“We have year-long promotions and offers in various parts of Malaysia including Klang Valley, Johor Baru and Penang. Visa cardholders can enjoy discounts and benefits at family attractions such as Legoland, Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, and KidZania, other outlets like BH Petrol and Swarovski, as well as hospitals such as ParkCity Medical Centre and Subang Jaya Medical Centre,” says Visa country manager for Malaysia, Ng Kong Boon.

Aside from establishing partnerships with such attractions, hotels and dining outlets, the company has also established tie-ups with major shopping malls to roll out attractive promotions in an effort to play its part in promoting Visit Malaysia 2020.

To this end, Visa has announced its partnership with Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur recently on Dec 12. Being the world’s leader in digital payments, this partnership seeks to encourage tourists to use digital payment for their purchases during the festive season.

With this campaign Visa cardholders can make payment with their contactless card for purchases made at Mid Valley Megamall here and The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Baru, to be eligible for redemption gifts. To sweeten the deal, when they shop on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and on the eve of public holidays and on public holidays, they will also receive eco-friendly metal straws and pans as giveaways for transactions about RM200 and RM350 respectively.

For the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, Visa and Mid Valley will be introducing another campaign from Jan 5, 2020 to Feb 2, 2020 where Visa cardholders will receive Toys “R” Us vouchers when they spend minimum RM350 with their contactless cards.

Visa cardholders in Melaka are also in for a treat as Visa has also partnered with Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, Terminal Pahlawan and Hatten Square. From now till Jan 2, 2020 Visa cardholders will receive a specially designed Barbie canvas shopping bag when they spend minimum RM300 using their contactless cards.

According to Ng, this is part of the effort to propel adoption of digital payment, which has seen a tremendous growth due to the introduction of e-wallets. Furthermore, digital payments are a more convenient and safe way to making payment, as no physical cash is involved and tourists do not need to walk around with a big amount of local currency.

“Many people have the impression that the exchange rate applied when using their cards to make payment in a foreign currency is not as good as what they can get at a money changer. However, this is not necessarily true, as the exchange rate offered by the banks are just as competitive.

“We are extremely excited to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination, especially to our neighbours in Asia Pacific. Based on our data, Singaporeans, Indonesians and the Chinese are the top spenders when they travel to Malaysia. During this festive period, we are partnering with malls frequented by tourists to encourage them to use their payment cards, particularly contactless payments, when they make their purchases here. These promotions are designed to help boost tourism spend as part of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, “ Ng said.

-thestar online.

Caexpo 2019 opened doors for VMY 2020 campaign - MOTAC Sec-Gen

NANNING (China), Sept 22 (Bernama) -- The uniqueness and speciality of Malaysian products that impressed visitors at the 16th China Asean Expo (Caexpo) 2019 in Nanning, Guangxi, China has also indirectly played a huge role in promoting Visit Malaysia Year 2020, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak said.

He said local visitors from China and from the ASEAN community had also been captivated with Malaysian cultural performances during the five-day event. 

“CAEXPO 2019 is a platform that has given the opportunity to attract tourists, especially from China, to Malaysia. It has given us a boost in our efforts to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2020,” he told reporters after visiting the Malaysia Pavillion at the Expo here today.

Isham said the government's move to relax Visa On Arrival (VOA) requirements for tourists from China at six additional entry points from July 15 also helped the government's VMY 2020 efforts to attract more visitors to the country.

The entry points are Langkawi International Airport and Bukit Kayu Hitam ICQS in Kedah, Miri International Airport and Sungai Tujoh ICQS in Sarawak, Labuan Ferry Terminal and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport (Skypark Subang).

The duration of stay in Malaysia for travel purposes had also been extended to 15 days compared to the previous seven days, while the VOA fee had been reduced from RM330 to RM200.

-bernama.

Extended visa exemption for Chinese, Indians a boon for M’sian travel agents

Friendly visa policies will help the destination better compete against neighbours, agents say

Malaysia has again extended the temporary 15-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India to the end of 2019.

Agents handling these markets welcomed the continuation of the exemption, most recently planned to cease on December 31, 2018, saying it would help Malaysia compete better with Thailand and Indonesia – the former offers visa on arrival while the latter offers visa exemption to Chinese and Indian tourists.

K Thangavelu, president of the Malaysian Indian Tour & Travel Association (MITTA) as well as Grandlotus Travel Agencies managing director, said: “There is plenty of direct air connectivity from China and India to Malaysia. Airfares are also very competitive on these routes.

“The continuation of the 15-day visa exemption, which has been extended on a year-to-year basis from October 1, 2015 for Chinese tourists, and from April 1, 2017 for Indian tourists, is a good move by the new government because the hassle of getting a visa has always been a hindrance to travel. If the Malaysian government doesn’t offer this, we may lose both these big markets to neighbouring Indonesia and Thailand.”

Uzaidi Udanis, president, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said the extension of the visa exemption was timely in view of the upcoming Chinese New Year period, which is also a peak travel period for Chinese tourists.

He said: “I was in Hunan recently and our trade counterparts there were concerned whether the exemption would be continued. It is good that the government is announcing this (ahead of the peak season) as this is a selling point for Chinese tourists who have yet to decide on which medium-haul destination to choose.

“On our part, we are helping boost awareness on Malaysia in China by organising the Malaysia-China Spring Festival Carnival in Kuala Lumpur on February 16 to showcase the Malaysian Chinese culture and heritage. Hunan TV will broadcast this event to their viewers in China. We hope this activity will also help to create more interest in Malaysia and in turn, encourage more Chinese tourists to Malaysia.”

Bobby Eng, general manager, Sunflower Holidays, shared that the extension of the visa exemption will help him sell Malaysia to corporate incentive or meeting planners.

“In the past, the process of obtaining a visa took about five working days. It was a hassle especially for organisers who had to coordinate with participants from different parts of the country. Now individuals planning to travel to Malaysia can register online for the 15-day visa exemption – the approval is fast and the system is user friendly,” Eng remarked.

-TTG Asia.

15-day visa exemption to resume

PUTRAJAYA: The online system for Chinese and Indian tourists to apply for a 15-day visa exemption is set to resume on Tuesday after being suspended since this Jan 1.

It will help facilitate arrivals from both countries.

The Electronic Travel Registration and Information (eNTRI) was suspended after media reports about weaknesses in the system.

The Home Ministry confirmed that the government decided to extend the 15-day visa exemption from the two countries until Dec 31.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said the eNTRI facility to exempt Chinese and Indian tourists from visa requirements for a 15-day period was first introduced on March 1, 2016 for Chinese tourists.

It was then widened to include Indian tourists on April 1, 2017.

In addition, the ministry also implemented an online visa application (eVISA) from March 1, 2016 for applications from tourists who wished to visit Malaysia for a maximum period of 30 days.

“Following reports of weaknesses involving eNTRI, the government has suspended its implementation to enable upgrading and improvement be made to the system. The suspension also allows checks on the security aspect of the facility be looked into.

The suspension of the system raised concerns among players in the tourism industry of a drop in tourist arrivals from China.

The ministry said it would ensure visa applications via eNTRI as well as eVISA would be without any hitch to facilitate the entry of tourists, without compromising the country’s security.

According to Tourism Malaysia figures, the top five countries in terms of tourist arrivals to Malaysia from January to September last year were Singapore (7.83 million), Indonesia (2.44 million), China (2.28 million), Thailand (1.43 million) and Brunei (1.06 million).

-thestar online.

Malaysia to reduce visa cost for China tourists

Fielding questions: Dr Mahathir speaking to the media in the Parliament lobby.

THE government will look at ways to reduce the cost of visa for Chinese tourists, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“The issuance of these visas are done by China and there is a shortfall in the service, which needs to be improved.

“We will have to decide on a visa cost, which is not too high, and ways on how to speed up the visa issuance process,” said the Prime Minister when replying to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam) in Parliament.

Dr Mahathir acknowledged that there was a drop in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia recently.

Earlier, Fong Kui Lun (Pakatan-Bukit Bintang) asked if the sharp drop in Chinese tourists during China’s Golden Week national holidays was due to the negative perception towards Malaysia following a review of several Chinese-backed projects in the country.

In reply, Dr Mahathir said the drop in Chinese tourists had not only affected Malaysia but other countries.

“During their national holidays between Oct 1 and Oct 7, many Chinese travel overseas.

“However, many Chinese tourists had also travelled within China,” he said.

Dr Mahathir expressed confidence that the number of Chinese tourists to the country would pick up again.

Last year, it was estimated that some 180,000 Chinese tourists visited Malaysia during the period.

According to Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia attracted 2,281,666 tourist arrivals from China in 2017, netting some RM13bil in tourist receipts.

On Malaysia-China ties, Dr Mahathir assured that both nations were committed towards strengthening political ties, forged over 40 years ago.

He noted that during his recent visit to China, they had agreed to import an additional 500,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia at a reasonable price.

-thestar online.

Tahun 2020 diisytihar Tahun Melawat Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 27 Okt. - Kerajaan mengumumkan tahun 2020 sebagai Tahun Melawat Malaysia seiring dengan pelbagai aktiviti yang akan dilaksanakan pada tahun itu antaranya menjadi tuan rumah kepada Kerjasama Ekonomi Asia Pasifik (APEC).

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, pengumuman itu adalah seiring dengan kemampuan Malaysia menjadi negara ke-12 paling ramai dikunjungi pelancong dari seluruh dunia untuk tahun 2016 mengikut laporan 
Pertubuhan Pelancongan Sedunia (WTO).

Jelas Perdana Menteri, demi menyiapkan Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelancongan pilihan, kerajaan akan memperkenalkan beberapa skim bantuan antaranya RM2 bilion diperuntukan kepada Tabung Pelancongan perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) sebagai pinjaman kepada pengusaha pelancongan dengan insentif subsidi berkadar faedah dua peratus menerusi Bajet 2018.

“Dari Melaka ke negeri Pahang, tumpang berteduh di Bandar Pekan, negara tersohor pelancong pun datang, itulah tandanya Malaysia aman. Bagi tahun 2018 pula, dijangka 28 juta pelancong akan melawat Malaysia,” katanya ketika membentangkan Bajet 2018, di Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.

Tambah Najib, kerajaan juga akan memperluaskan hab serantau e-Visa bagi memudahkan permohonan di seluruh dunia terutama kepada ekspatriat, pelajar asing dan peserta program Malaysia My Second Home.

-utusan online.

With multiple-entry visa, Malaysia ups efforts to woo Indian tourists

Malaysia’s introduction of multiple-entry visas for up to 15 days for Indian tourists has received positive feedback from the trade, as members see greater potential to position the country as a hub for intra-region packages.

KL Tan, vice president, inbound and domestic at Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA), said: “Travel agents and tour operators should capitalise on packages not only in Malaysia but ASEAN, as the multiple-entry visa allows tourists from India to use Malaysia as a hub to visit neighbouring countries. We hope to attract more Indian tourists to Malaysia and ASEAN.”

Ganneesh Ramaa, manager, Luxury Tours Malaysia, concurred: “Multiple-entry visa of 15 days is good enough for a genuine tourist to visit multiple destinations in ASEAN using Malaysia as a hub. Both Malindo Air and AirAsia offer attractive airfares.

“Without the multiple-entry visa, we lose out to Bali as Indian tourists used Kuala Lumpur as a transit to continue their journey onwards to Denpasar. (The new visa move) also makes Malaysia more competitive with regional destinations. Indonesia and Thailand, for example offers free visa on arrival,” he added.

At the same time, MATTA president Hamzah Rahmat is urging state tourism offices nationwide to leverage the latest visa initiative and promote their destinations. He said: “Not many Indian tourists are familiar with destinations beyond the traditional such as Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang and Resorts World Genting.”

On its part, MATTA will continue with its new initiative of organising sales missions in South Asia, encompassing its association members, hoteliers and local attraction operators. Tan said: “We wish to introduce new destinations such as Perak, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak to provide an opportunity for SME agencies to participate in the Indian market.”

For India, sales missions are planned for Bangaluru, Chennai and Kochi and in August, and Kolkata, Hyderabad and Visakapatnam in November.

-TTG Asia.

New visa scheme set to attract more visitors from India

PETALING JAYA: Namaste, India! The traditional greeting will be given all out for India, as Malaysia eyes a slice of its lucrative tourism market with an easier and cheaper new visa scheme.

This comes as the Indian tourism market is projected by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organi­sation to reach 50 million outbound tours by the year 2020. Total outbound spending is expected to cross the US$28bil (RM123.9bil) mark.

The scheme, scheduled to be announced during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s official trip to India, would see Indian tourists paying only US$20 (RM88.50) as a processing fee for a 15-day visa to Malaysia. The visa is free.

It was reported that the company previously managing the e-visa applications charged an additional RM270 per application apart from the RM108 payable to the Malaysian and Indian governments, making the total fees RM378.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Hamzah Rahmat said with the new visa scheme, Malaysia could expect at least a million Indian tourists to come here, compared to 722,141 in 2015 and 638,578 in 2016.

A report by FCM Travel Solutions India projected that India could be second only to China in business travel spending in another 15 to 20 years.

Hamzah said the visa application process was one of the obstacles for Indian tourists wanting to visit here.

With the new arrangement, he said Indian tourists could apply for a visa on their own without having to go through a third party.

“It’s not so much about the price but the ease of obtaining the visa.

“Travellers want things easy for themselves, including not having to send their passports to the embassy for the application,” he said.

Hamzah cited the case of travellers from China where the numbers increased since Malaysia made it easier for them to obtain their visa.

There were over two million visitors from China last year. Malaysia welcomed 26,757,392 tourists last year with tourist receipts of RM82bil.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab reportedly said Malaysia aimed to attract 31 million tourists and RM114bil in spending this year.

Two weeks ago, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the new scheme would see Indian tourists only paying US$20 for a 15-day visa.

He also said during a visit to India in February that the country was Malaysia’s sixth top tourist source market.

Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Indus­try (MAICCI) president Tan Sri Kenneth Eswaran, who is in New Delhi for Najib’s visit, was pleased with the new scheme to woo Indian tourists.

“Indians are spending huge sums on medical tourism and overseas wedding packages,” he said.

The Malaysian Government, he said, had done the right thing.

He said the promotion of medical tourism was raised during Najib’s meeting with India’s captains of industry, organised by MAICCI in Chennai on Friday.

-thestar online.

Malaysia To Open Visa Processing Centre In Xiamen - Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) - The government has approved the opening of a visa processing centre in Xiamen, China in order to get at least one million tourists from Fujian province this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he will direct the Department of Immigration and related vendors to operate the visa processing centre.

"I hope that this facility is not abused. I will not compromise when it comes to the security and the social harmony of Malaysia," he said when opening a tourism exhibition organised by the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) here, Saturday.

Zahid, who is also Home Minister warned that appropriate action would be taken against those found to be abusing the visas given.

On the tourism exhibition, he challenged the event organisers to attract at least 1,000 exhibitors next year.

"The government would like to give RM1 million for MITA fair next year but you have to use the budget properly and get more exhibitors to participate."

Zahid said he was willing to give a special budget to encourage tour guides to take up language courses to accommodate tourists from China, India and emerging markets in Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, MITA president Uzaidi Udanis said the tourist target set by Zahid could be achieved as Fujian province has a population of more than 30 million.

"The influx of tourists from Fujian would help the government to achieve its target of four million tourists from China this year," he added.

The new visa processing centre in Xiamen is the fifth in China after Guangzhou, Kunming, Shanghai and Beijing.
-Bernama.

Visa-Free Entry Into Malaysia For Indian Nationals Living Abroad

DOHA, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Indian nationals living outside India will now also enjoy visa-free travel to Malaysia for tourism, said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that it was appropriate that the Cabinet decision to provide the facility to tourists from India be extended to Indian nationals living outside the country so as to encourage them to come to Malaysia.

"We welcome them to visit Malaysia as tourists. This will help increase our foreign exchange earnings as tourist arrivals will go up," he told the Malaysian media here today.

Ahmad Zahid is on a four-day working visit to Qatar at the invitation of Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, however, said this did not mean that security would be compromised as they too would have to undergo Airline Passenger Security Screening (APSS) before they are allowed entry into Malaysia.

According to Ahmad Zahid, this flexibility would attract the approximately 500,000 Indian nationals residing in Qatar as businessmen, professionals and technical experts, to visit Malaysia.

He said as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Tourism, among his objectives during this visit to Qatar was to attract more tourists from this country to visit Malaysia.

"Last year, only 5,000 tourists from Qatar were recorded. We need to increase efforts on attracting more tourists from West Asia through the support and cooperation of travel agents and companies," he said.

Ahmad Zahid said it was also his intention to increase the number flights from this region to Malaysia through collaboration with companies and agents handling umrah (minor Haj) packages.

"I will discuss on this with companies offering umrah packages while I am here," he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister said during his visit to Qatar, he would also hold bilateral talks with the country's leadership in an effort to increase trade between the two countries.

He said in the last two years, the trade volume between the two countries saw a decline, following the drop in oil and gas prices which had affected both countries.

"I want to prove the commitment made before this, which is to reinstate Qatar as a country with big potential to Malaysia," he said.

He said in this regard, several agreements which were still being drafted by by the business councils of both countries, would be finalised soon.

He said apart from agreements involving the travel and investment industries, agreements on exchange of security and defence information, staff exchanges and training would also be signed.

Ahmad Zahid added that following Qatar's selection to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, companies from Malaysia would have the opportunity to be involved in the supply of goods and equipment necessary for Qatar's successful organisation of the most prestigious football tournament.

Earlier today, Ahmad Zahid had an audience with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al-Thani and later with Sheikh Abdullah.

Later today, Ahmad Zahid will attend a dinner with the Malaysian diaspora in Qatar at a hotel here.
-bernama.