Starting December 1, Malaysia will allow Chinese tourists to enter without a visa for 30 days. Following this announcement, the country's tourism gained immense popularity on major travel platforms. As per the data from the Chinese online booking platform Tongcheng, the search volume for travel to Malaysia has increased by 173% compared to the previous month. In addition, the search volume for hotels in Malaysia has increased by 112% month-on-month. The provinces and cities that showed the most interest in Malaysian tourism information were Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Shandong.
Following the visa waiver announcement, Malaysia's search popularity on Mafengwo station increased by 166% within 24 hours. Kuala Lumpur, Semporna, and Kota Kinabalu were the three most popular destinations, with respective increases in popularity of 98%, 83%, and 80%. Kapalai Island in Semporna, the National Mosque, and Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur were the most popular attractions.
Travel experts have revealed that Chinese tourists often prefer to visit East or Southeast Asian countries as their first outbound travel destination. With Malaysia's visa-free policy, Chinese tourists can easily choose Malaysia as their travel destination, reducing the decision-making cycle, simplifying exit procedures, and lowering travel costs. These factors will significantly increase the willingness of Chinese tourists to visit Malaysia and improve Malaysia's tourism competitiveness in China's tourism market.
China has announced an expansion of its visa-free policy on a trial basis for ordinary passport holders from six countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. This decision was made public by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on November 24. From December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, these passport holders can enter China for up to 15 days without a visa. This policy applies to many purposes, including business, tourism, visiting family and friends, and transit.
Recently, there has been quite a lot of positive news regarding visas. Malaysia's new visa-free policy is especially noteworthy, as it will benefit Chinese tourists during the upcoming New Year's Day and Spring Festival season. Southeast Asia is a crucial region for outbound tourism, and with these favorable policies, experts predict a rise in the demand for outbound travel.
Malaysia is expected to become a popular destination for outbound travel during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival season. Since the announcement of the visa waiver, many travelers have added Malaysia to their travel itineraries. Questions about local transportation and hotels in Malaysia have been the most frequently asked in the Malaysian strategy group. However, it's important to note that visitors to Malaysia are concerned about safety, which is one of their top priorities.