KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — Digital travel platform Agoda has confirmed that there has been an increase in travel searches to Malaysia from China on their site.
This is following the introduction of the 30-day-visa-free travel policy for Chinese visitors which was announced back in December 2023.
According to a press release, Agoda saw over five times more searches from China to Malaysia in December 2023 compared to the month prior and the trend continued to increase until January 2024 so far.
Amongst the top destinations in Malaysia currently gaining attention from Chinese travellers are Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Bahru and Langkawi.
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Meanwhile, the travel platform points out that searches from Malaysia to mainland China have also increased threefold in December 2023 with top searched destinations being Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu.
Agoda Southeast Asia’s associate vice president, Enric Casals said that the data reflect the recent increased interest between travellers from both countries.
“The increased search activity and the diverse destinations in both markets that made the rankings reflect the excitement among travellers from Malaysia and China to explore each other’s wonders.
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“It’s great to see travel becoming more frictionless,” Casals said.
Earlier this month, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said that Malaysia has registered a 35 per cent increase in Chinese tourists arrivals in December alone following the implementation of the visa-free policy.