THE Malaysian government will soon introduce visa-free facilities for Chinese travellers traveling in groups of at least two people but travel agents, having been let down before, are cynical.
Temporary social passes for Chinese groups were originally planned to be implemented on October 1, but glitches in execution have halted the programme with no solution in sight.
Mint Leong, secretary-general of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), said the latest announcement raised questions on implementation again.
“This good news should be greeted with excitement but MITA members involved in the Chinese inbound market are cynical as they had been let down earlier. It is also not clear if travellers from Hong Kong and Macau will be included,” she said.
Arrivals for 1H2015 showed Chinese arrivals had contracted by 11.7 per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2014, which saw 850,877 Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia.
E-visa capabilities will also be introduced from January 2016.
