MALAYSIA’S recovering tourism industry targets to reach 60% of the pre-Covid pandemic levels of tourist arrivals from one of its important markets, China.

Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) president Paul Paw said the industry would be “very satisfied” if arrivals this year reach between 1.8 million and 2.5 million.

He told The Malaysian Insight more than three million Chinese tourists came to Malaysia in 2019.

After China lifted cross border travel restrictions on January 8, Malaysia had seen more than 4,000 tourists arriving from that country in just two days, causing much optimism the target could be reached.

“We are not asking for much. Sixty per cent and we will be very satisfied,” Paw said, adding that the target was set last year.

He said the three-year pandemic, which had set off global travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the viral infection that had killed millions of people worldwide, had been “disastrous” to Malaysia’s real estate industry, bilateral trade and commerce, the Malaysia My Second Home programme, university student exchanges and tourism.

“It’s especially disastrous to the tourism sector.”

Paw said it could probably be only next year when China tourist arrivals reach pre-pandemic levels, pointing to several reasons.

First, he said, flights to and from China have not been normalised. Paw said because airlines have yet to restore flight frequencies, air tickets currently are expensive.

He said this is a major factor affecting Chinese tourist arrivals.

“Once the frequency is restored, I believe we will be able to reach the number before the pandemic, if not more, next year.”

The second, Paw said, is that there has been no reported surge in Covid-19 cases in the country as a result of the new Chinese arrivals.

“What this means is that the Chinese tourists are not a health threat as there is no reported spike in cases. They are relatively safe.

“Of course, I dare not say what will happen in future, but we just need to be optimistic with what the current data show.”

Paw said once Malaysia’s post pandemic entry policy is made known in China, he is optimistic the lunar New Year next year will draw in more tourists from that country.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

China’s National Health Commission had announced that from January 8, there will be no more quarantine for Covid-19 infected people, tracing of close contacts or restricting the number of international passenger flights into the country.

In reopening its borders and lifting all Covid restrictions, China will no longer be testing its arrivals for the virus and quarantining incoming passengers.

Good start

MCTA Johor chapter chairman Edwin Tay said its members have begun receiving inquiries on New Year travel packages from their China counterparts.

“Whether they will come, we just don’t know yet.”

Viewing China’s reopening of its borders and lifting all travel restrictions positively, Tay said it will be good for the Malaysian economy, particularly tourism.

On January 10, the health deputy director-general (public health) Dr Norhayati Rusli said at a press conference that the 4,069 Chinese tourists that had entered the country on January 8 and 9, had or showed symptoms of Covid-19.

Even though Tay described it as “a good start”, he still remained cautious of what could happen in the future.

He said he will lead a delegation of MCTA members to Guangzhou after the new year for a dialogue with industry players there.

On January 4, the government resolved to tighten the country’s entry controls and scrutinise the entry of tourists from China and the United States to curb the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government has to act as it was concerned with the resurgence of cases in China.

He said the government’s priority is to protect the health of the people.

Anwar said that the health of the nation is far more important than the economy and tourism.

The prime minister said amid these concerns over the Covid-19 situation in China, the Immigration Department will operate special lanes for travellers from the country at its international entry points. – January 13, 2023.