Malaysia picks up pace in tourism, thanks to China tourists

Malaysia’s beaches, like this one in Tanjung Aru, Sabah, are always popular with tourists from China. — Photos: Pixabay

Japan and Thailand top the list of Asian destinations for Chinese tourists heading abroad this summer, as the world’s biggest market of travellers look for holidays that offer good value.

South Korea and Japan have already seen a surge of Chinese tourists after their currencies weakened against the yuan, while South-East Asian countries including Malaysia and Thailand lure tourists with visa-free entry and relatively lower costs, according to Cirium seat capacity data, flight ticketing analysis from ForwardKeys and online travel sites’ bookings.