MALAYSIA TARGETS 18 PCT GROWTH IN TOURISTS FROM INDIA

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to increase tourist arrivals from India by about 18 per cent this year through better visa facilitation and marketing efforts, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said.

Malaysia saw a 7.5 per cent increase in tourists from India last year, reversing a declining trend during the two previous years.

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This year's target is to attract 700,000 visitors from India compared with almost 595,000 in 2018.

"Better air connectivity will help us. We are also studying how we can improve visa facilitation for tourists from India," Muhammad Bakhtiar told Bernama.

There are 211 weekly flights between India and Malaysia at present offering 35,000 seats.

Muhammad Bakhtiar on Wednesday met senior airline executives at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) trade fair in Noida, on the outskirts of Delhi, to explore tourism promotion and more air links.

The Malaysian pavilion at the Jan 16-18 tourism fair includes more than three dozen participants, including Genting Malaysia Bhd, Desaru Coast Malaysia, Sunway Hotel and Theme Park, Legoland Malaysia Resort, along with officials from Tourism Malaysia and state tourism boards.

Muhammad Bakhtiar said Malaysia is keen to promote a wider range of attractions to Indian travellers.

"Genting and Langkawi have been popular with Indian tourists. We should also promote Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang and the East Coast for those who love nature.

“We have a large number of tourists coming from China only to enjoy fresh air and natural beauty. This segment of tourism can attract people from India as well," he added.

India is Malaysia's sixth biggest source of foreign tourists.

-- BERNAMA