Malaysia eyes 1.4 million Chinese tourist arrivals next year - Nazri

Malaysia is expected to attract 1.4 million Chinese tourist arrivals next year in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festival 2015 (MyFest 2015).

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the amount was part of the government's target to achieve 29.4 million foreign tourists to visit Malaysia next year.

He said after the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 tragedy in March, the number of Chinese tourists arrival in Malaysia was still high, only after May the number of Chinese tourists had decreased.

There was a need for all parties to work hard to get back the Chinese tourists to visit Malaysia, he told reporters after launching the Tunamaya Air at Subang Skypark Terminal near here, today.

Nazri said among the steps taken to woe Chinese tourists to Malaysia, was looking at the need to waive the visa charges of 80 Renminbi (RM44.83) per person.

Currently six Asean countries - Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines have waived the visa fee for the Chinese tourists, he added.

"For example, if we look at Thailand, the number of Chinese tourists to the country increased from two million to four million within a year after the visa fee was waivered," he added.

Nazri said he would make the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the matter .