China, Malaysia Prolong Mutual Visa-Free Entry to Further Boost Tourism(Yicai) June 21 -- China and Malaysia have extended their agreement on reciprocal visa waivers after the initial deal sparked a surge in travel between the two countries.
China agreed to extend its visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens until the end of next year, while Malaysia will do the same for Chinese citizens until the end of 2026, the two countries jointly announced yesterday.
According to the pair's original agreement, China granted 15-day visa-free entry between Dec. 1 last year and Nov. 30 this year to holders of Malaysian passports, while Malaysia allowed Chinese citizens to stay for up to 30 days without a visa starting last December.
The extension of the visa-free policy will boost tourism between China and Malaysia and facilitate their citizens to visit relatives and travel, according to Ctrip Research Institute. It may also lead to more countries rolling out mutual visa-free policies, it added.
Trip.Com Group, China's largest online travel agency, said it will utilize the extension policy dividends, leverage brand, technology, and resource advantages, and enhance the inbound tourism experience.
Malaysia has become China's fourth largest source of visitors this year, with the number of such tourists soaring over five times from a year ago, according to data from Trip.Com.
In addition, searches for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, jumped 49 percent after the extension from a week earlier, according to data from Chinese online travel agency Qunar. The Southeast Asian country is among the top three summer destinations for Chinese tourists, with flight reservations for this summer surging 3.2 times from a year earlier.
China recently adopted unilateral visa exemptions for New Zealand, Australia, and other countries and has implemented many inbound tourism facilitation measures in payment, accommodation, and ticket bookings, analysts pointed out. Many foreigners share their travel experiences in the Asian country on social media, attracting more tourists and forming a virtuous cycle, they added.
Editor: Martin Kadiev
