KUALA LUMPUR, 20 January 2020: In conjunction with the China-Malaysia Year of Culture and Tourism 2020, a Tourism Promotion and Business Matching Conference was held at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTic), Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The one-day event, hosted by the China Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), brought together more than 150 tourism industry players from two countries to clinch business deals and make full use of the latest development in the ever-evolving travel industry.
MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang says “As the leading and largest travel association in Malaysia with over 3,600 members, MATTA can play an influential and effective role in collaborating with China Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur to promote business exchanges and development between Chinese and Malaysian tour operators.”
“Declaring 2020 as China-Malaysia Culture and Tourism Year will facilitate greater flow of tourists to both countries. Arrivals from China to Malaysia had been increasing from 1,613,355 in 2014, 1,677,163 in 2015, 2,124,942 in 2016, 2,281,666 in 2017, 2,944,133 in 2018 and more than 3.2 million in 2019. This year, Malaysia is targeting four million. Earlier, Malaysia had extended the Electronic Travel Registration and Information (eNTRI) system for Chinese tourists to register without having to apply for a normal visa.”
“The number of Malaysians travelling to China for business, holiday or visit will also increase this year, more so after the Chinese embassy in Kuala Lumpur announced yesterday a variety of visas to facilitate entry into China.”
“For example, cruise passengers may apply for L-Visa valid for three months while tourists can obtain one-year multiple-entry L-Visa. Malaysians on commercial and trade activities may apply for the M-Visa valid for between six months and three years. Those who wish to visit relatives who are China citizens may apply for the Q2-Visa valid from six months to five years. Those visiting family members who are foreigners working or studying in China may obtain S2-Visa and stay up to six months. The S2-Visa is also for those seeking medical treatment, inheritance, litigation or having properties in the mainland, and validity up to three years.”
“MATTA is optimistic that 2020 will be the best year for the tourism industry in Malaysia and China, and tour operators in both countries are bound to benefit from cultural and tourism exchanges lined up for the year”, concluded Tan.
The conference was graced by H.E Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and YBrs. Encik Mohd Zamri Bin Mat Zain, Deputy Secretary General (Tourism) of Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC).
At the event, MATTA also exclusively organised several mini shows to celebrate the occasion such as batik demonstration, Chinese calligraphy, local fruits and durian cendol tasting and lion dance performance.
DATUK TAN KOK LIANG
President MATTA
Term 2019 – 2021