Visa-free travel to lure more China tourists

PETALING JAYA: With tourists from China increasing by 40% in conjunction with its Golden Week holiday, it is all the more proper to implement visa-free travel for them to boost Malaysia’s tourism, say industry players.The Golden Week holiday coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival today and forms an eight-day period until Oct 6 when more Chinese nationals are expected to travel overseas.

Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association president Paul Paw said that China’s Golden Week holiday had become a catalyst for promoting travel, boosting tourism and stimulating consumption.“While we may miss out on this Golden Week, let’s move on and do the necessary so that we can still welcome more tourists during the year-end travelling season. The sooner we can provide visa-free convenience for them, the better,” he said when contacted.Paw was responding to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s announcement that a policy related to visa-free travel for Chinese tourists would be made soon.