A taste of history: Visitors exploring the A’Famosa Fort, one of the must-visit tourist sites in Melaka. — File photo/Bernama
PETALING JAYA: More foreign visitors are coming to Malaysia, with the upcoming International Labour Day holiday providing the perfect platform for increased bookings, say industry players.
Apart from Chinese and Indian visitors benefiting from the relaxed visa rules, they said the Japanese, South Koreans and British were also having a closer look at Malaysia.
Tourism Malaysia is already reporting increased arrivals in the first quarter of the year from China, India, Singapore and Indonesia.
The Golden Week in China, beginning May 1, celebrates Labour Day with a nationwide holiday over five days, offering a vibrant period of travel, festivity and leisure for millions across the country.
Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) life president Paul Paw said local travel agencies were seeing a steady rise in foreign bookings from May to the July-August summer holidays.
“Compared with the same period last year, bookings have increased by at least 15% to 20% this time,” he said.
Paw said the most popular local destinations remained: Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands and Penang.
“Visitors from visa-free countries and South-East Asia love travelling to Malaysia, especially those who prefer independent travel.
“As the summer holidays approach, enquiries for island holiday packages are soaring, with travel agencies actively promoting new attractions to foreigners,” he added.
Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (Mica) president Datuk Dr Angie Ng said the just-announced extended visa-free policy will woo more China visitors over.
“They can travel at any time without worrying about applying for a visa. And thanks to travel apps, visitors can easily get around Malaysia without language barriers,” she said.
Ng said the Chinese viewed Malaysia as a safe destination, with beaches and islands among their top choices.
She said local tourism operators were working hard to develop new attractions, with the growing interest in cultural tourism and educational camps.
“More foreigners are also coming to experience our durian orchards first-hand, tasting fresh durians straight from the trees.
“Wildlife and photography tours are also becoming niche markets, with tourists visiting our rainforests to capture images of hornbills and tropical insects,” she said.
Ng said Malaysia’s eco-tourism was steadily gaining popularity, citing Langkawi’s mangrove tours, eagle-watching and monkey-feeding at the Geoforest Park, as examples.
“Malaysia may not need a Disneyland. Our strengths lie in our multicultural society and protected natural environment which will become even more popular in the coming years,” she added.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) president Mint Leong said with Labour Day falling on a Thursday, many foreigners were likely to take the following day off to enjoy a super long weekend break.
“We expect a 10% increase in visitor figures during this period. Apart from Chinese and Indian tourists benefiting from the visa-free travel, we are also seeing more visitors from Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Japan,” she added.
Leong said Malaysia continued to hold huge appeal in the region due to our multicultural charm, though Thailand was giving a good fight in terms of attractions and hotel pricing.
She said 2025 would be crucial for Malaysia’s tourism industry which was enjoying one of its best periods of growth.
In the first quarter of the year, Malaysia experienced a significant rise in international visitors with Tourism Malaysia reporting 4,946,487 arrivals from Singapore, a 33.5% increase from 2024.
Indonesia was second with 1,083,407 visitors (up 11.4%), with China following closely with 1,124,635 visitors (up 36.5%). India ranked sixth, contributing 346,771 visitors, which was a 35.7% growth.
