In 2019, more than 3.1 million Chinese visited Malaysia, the third-largest group behind Singapore and Indonesia, according to data from government tourism authority Tourism Malaysia.
“It’s going to contribute a lot in traffic both ways, including for people in Malaysia to visit China as well,” said John Gong, a China Forum expert and professor at China’s University of International Business and Economics.
Tourism is a significant contributor to national coffers, with the sector and related industries pulling in 251.5 billion ringgit (US$53.7 billion) or 14 per cent of Malaysia’s gross national product in 2022, according to data from the department of statistics.
Malaysian economy ‘no longer in crisis’ as return of tourists buoys growth
Malaysian economy ‘no longer in crisis’ as return of tourists buoys growth
But the prospect of the return of Chinese tourists en masse, may not translate into direct benefits for local tour operators, who end up competing with larger agencies from China that organise prearranged trips for their clients.
Before the…