The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, stands witness today to the signing ceremony between Jiangsu TopView Cultural Tourism Industry Development Co. Ltd. and Batik Air, marking a significant step towards expanding charter flights on China routes. The agreement includes four routes: Nanning to Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai to Tawau, Chengdu to Tawau, and Shenzhen to Tawau.
This expansion builds upon the existing charters initiated by Jiangsu Topview, which commenced on 23 January 2024 and will continue until the end of March 2024 to accommodate the Chinese New Year and spring festival holiday season. Due to the encouraging response to the charter, Jiangsu Topview decided to venture into the expansion of the additional routes with Batik Air.
Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said: “The strategic collaboration between Jiangsu Topview and Batik Air signifies a strengthening bond between our two nations, paving the way for an influx of Chinese tourists to Malaysia. This partnership also aligns with our efforts to bolster tourism ties and promote Malaysia as a premier destination for Chinese travellers.”
The surge in flights from China to Malaysia is attributed to the proactive efforts of the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, who personally led a sales mission to China, engaging with industry players including airlines and travel agents. Additionally, the announcement of visa-free for Chinese travellers effective 1 December 2023 has further fueled interest in travel from China, underscoring Malaysia’s allure as a preferred tourist destination in the region.
In 2023, Malaysia welcomed 1.47 million arrivals from China, an exponential growth of 593.4% in comparison to the same period in 2022 with 212,603 arrivals.
