MATTA Lauds Decision To Implement Visa-Free Entry For China Tourists

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) applauded the move to scrap the visa requirement for Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia from March to December this year. Its president, Hamzah Rahmat said MATTA had requested the Malaysian government since the MH370 incident to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists to boost visitor arrivals. In a statement here Monday night, he said, however the visa-free policy should also not be restricted to a minimum of two persons and tourists should be able to enter and leave from any entry/exit points in Malaysia as currently practiced by Indonesia and Thailand. The association also hoped that the government would extend the visa-free initiative to Indian visitors, he said. At the recent Malaysia's Budget 2016 recalibration session Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that tourists from China would not require a visa to visit Malaysia from March 1 to Dec 31, for up to 15 days stay. It was reported that Malaysia aimed to draw eight million tourists from China annually over the next five years with US$5.27 billion (RM22.1 billion spending power, compared to the 1.3 million Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia annually. --BERNAMA