PETALING JAYA: Malaysia can prepare to say “nihao” (hello in Mandarin) to a wave of tourists from China, who are expected to arrive on our shores in the next two months.
This is because July and August are the two most popular months for tourists from the Middle Kingdom to visit our country, based on data from Tourism Malaysia.
Such is based on an analysis by The Star on statistics throughout 12 years, from 2012 to 2024.
Tourism Malaysia, when contacted, said Malaysia experienced a notable increase in Chinese visitors in these two months, mainly due to the summer school break in China, usually spanning from early July to late August.
"During this period, families with children often travel abroad for leisure.
"Malaysia’s warm climate and abundance of family-friendly attractions also add to its appeal during this peak season," said the agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
Tourism industry players are also preparing for the expected influx of Chinese visitors, with hotels assigning more Mandarin-speaking staff during these times and travel agents catering to suit their preferences.
Looking at the data, the month of August received the highest cumulative number of Chinese tourists throughout the past 12 years at 2.357 million.
The second most popular month was July, which saw a cumulative total of 2.314 million China visitors.
Here’s a closer look at how many Chinese tourists visited Malaysia in these two months compared with other times in the year:
Why July and August?
Concurring about July and August being peak times, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president Datin Christina Toh said the data aligns with what hotels on the ground are experiencing.
“We do see a significant increase in Chinese tourist arrivals during such months,” she said, adding that it was mostly due to China's summer school holidays.
Toh said July and August also tends to be Malaysia’s driest period with many popular destinations experiencing clear weather.
“This makes it ideal for outdoor activities and urban sightseeing,” she added.
Tourism Malaysia said another peak time is during Chinese New Year in January or February, with many Chinese people taking extended leave for family trips.
"Malaysia’s sizeable Chinese community and vibrant festive celebrations further attracts tourists from China to come here," it said.
China's Labour Day holiday around May 1 to 3, while relatively short, also drives an increase of tourist traffic to South-East Asia, it added.
Toh said another popular time is China's National Day Golden Week from Oct 1 to 7, with hotels seeing a spike in guests.
“We also see higher numbers during the year-end period in December, when some travellers seek to escape the cold winter back home,” she said.
In the graph below, watch how July and August mostly dominate as popular months for Chinese tourists arrivals:
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said it isn’t surprising for August to see a spike in Chinese tourists.
“Chinese tourists have more time to travel during their summer holidays as it is a few months’ long.
“China’s Golden Week is shorter and many might choose to travel within their own country,” he said when contacted.
Overall, tourists from China make up the third largest group of international visitors for Malaysia as of April this year.
There has been a 28.8% growth in their numbers for the first four months of this year, compared with the same period last year.
Hot spots for Chinese tourists
For the next two months, MATTA’s Wong said Malaysia can expect to see more visitor traffic to popular tourist destinations like Sabah, Langkawi and Penang.
On what attracts Malaysia to China tourists, he said our nation is a value for money destination, with our location relatively close to them.
“In terms of culture and food, it is very agreeable to Chinese tourists as they can identify with some similarities Malaysia might have with them.
“For attractions, they are very keen on the sun, sand and sea - for that, we have many gems for islands here,” Wong said.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said Chinese tourists were very fond of visiting Sabah, followed by Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
“Islands and beaches with activities seem to attract them the most, followed by food, popular destinations as well as cultural heritage sites,” he said.
MAH’s Toh said Malaysia is blessed in that we have multiple destinations that appeal to different interests of the Chinese tourist market.
“But our nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, remains a central attraction.
“Being the primary international entry point, its charm is its modern cityscape, world-class shopping centres and iconic buildings.
“As such, Kuala Lumpur is a staple destination in the itinerary of many Chinese tourists,” she said.
Beyond the capital, Penang continues to draw strong interest, particularly for its renowned street food and cultural heritage.
“Sabah is also another favourite, with its sizable Chinese locals and pristine nature while Cameron Highlands attracts visitors looking for scenic landscapes and a cooler climate,” Toh explained.
Langkawi has also seen growing interest from Chinese tourists, mainly for its beaches.
“Genting Highlands has reportedly also seen an increase in Chinese tourists compared to the previous months,” she added.
Sunny times ahead
In future, Wong said the number of Chinese visitors is expected to keep shooting up, thanks to the relaxed visa policies between both countries.
Currently, Malaysians can travel to China visa-free until Dec 31 this year, while Chinese nationals get visa-free travel to Malaysia until Dec 31 next year.
It was also reported that the visa-free programme for Chinese nationals entering the country will be extended for another five years.
Toh said the hotel industry is hopeful that the number of tourist arrivals will continue to rise with time.
“Our country’s reputation has also improved, with Malaysia being ranked as the most loved country in Asia in a study last year," she said.
So far, data from Tourism Malaysia shows that the number of Chinese tourists have been encouraging.
Last year, a total of 3.29 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels in 2019 of 3.11 million.
Leong also believes that more Chinese tourists will continue to make a beeline for Malaysia this year.
“It might not be a great jump but it will rise gradually, given the slight improvement of China’s economy, the safe environment for travel in Malaysia and the effects of our tourism promotions in China,” he said.
On top of that, both countries currently share an encouraging geopolitical relationship that Malaysia had initiated recently, Leong added.
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