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Tourism Malaysia is poised to achieve its target of 27.3 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, buoyed by various factors, including the government's charter flight matching grant incentive, the Visa Liberalization program, and intensified international tourism promotion activities.
Datuk Dr Ammar Abd Ghapar, the director-general of Tourism Malaysia, expressed confidence in surpassing last year's foreign tourist arrivals of over 20 million, which exceeded the targeted 19.1 million. He highlighted the significance of charter flights and the need for new routes and increased flight frequencies to meet the ambitious target.
Ammar emphasized the crucial role of the charter flight matching grant in boosting flight frequencies to Malaysia. He also expressed hope for an International Border Flight Grant for Charter Flights, which could incentivize more inbound charter flights, not only to Kuala Lumpur but also to destinations like Kota Kinabalu, Penang, and Tawau.
Speaking to reporters after receiving passengers from the inaugural Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Shenyang Taoxian International Airport in China, Ammar outlined the importance of grants for international charter flights, detailing criteria such as flight frequency, the addition of new routes, and the utilization of charter flights.
To encourage airlines to increase flight frequencies, Ammar mentioned the need for incentives, and he pledged to enhance efforts and programs for charter flights, citing a positive impact on the arrival of foreign tourists. Since January, approximately 40 additional charter flights to Malaysia have been recorded.
Addressing the Visa Liberalization program, Ammar highlighted that, effective December 1, the government allowed visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian nationals. This move led to a substantial increase in tourist arrivals from China. The announcement of visa-free entry for Chinese travellers has generated heightened interest and bookings, with platforms like Trip.com projecting a 53.9% increase in inbound travel to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Ammar shared that Tourism Malaysia has set a target of about 200,000 tourist arrivals from China per month, underscoring the positive impact of these initiatives on Malaysia's tourism sector. The holistic approach, combining charter flight incentives and visa liberalization, positions Malaysia as an attractive destination, fostering growth in foreign tourist arrivals.
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