Malaysia will waive entry visa requirements for citizens of India and China visiting the country from December 1, Bloomberg reported, citing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Indian and Chinese nationals can stay up to 30 days without a visa, the news agency quoted Anwar as saying in a speech at the annual convention of his People’s Justice Party on Sunday. However, the granting of visas would be subject to security clearance.
Malaysia has become the fourth country to announce visa-free entry after Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand. Bloomberg said Malaysia is counting on extra tourist arrivals and spending to boost economic growth. Anwar last month announced plans to improve visa facilities next year to encourage the entry of tourists and investors, “especially from India and China”.
Earlier this month, Nguyen Van Jung, Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, called for the abolition of short-term visas for major markets such as China and India to support the revival of the country’s tourism sector, Vietnam’s VnExpress news agency reported. Currently, citizens of Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Finland can travel to Vietnam without a visa.
In October, the Thai government announced that it would allow visa-free entry for tourists from India and Taiwan for six months from November 10 this year to May 10, 2024. “We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand,” Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavision was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
Before Thailand, Sri Lanka also approved a proposal to grant free visas to travelers from seven countries for a period of five months until March 31, 2024. These countries are India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia. The aim of the move is to attract more tourists to the island nation. “We expect to increase the number of tourists to five million in the coming years,” Sri Lanka’s tourism ministry was quoted as saying by local media.
Visa-free stay to boost tourism
With this new policy, Chinese and Indian nationals can now enjoy a visa-free stay in Malaysia for up to 30 days, subject to passing security clearances. The move follows similar measures introduced by neighboring Thailand to stimulate its economy and tourism sector. China and India, which are Malaysia’s fourth and fifth largest source markets, are expected to contribute significantly to tourism inflows.
Expected benefits and improvements
Malaysia is trying to attract more tourists and their spending to boost economic growth. According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the potential is huge, which is why transportation and airport facilities would be improved. This mutual visa waiver is expected to encourage increased tourism, benefiting both Malaysia and the participating countries, while promoting economic exchanges and strengthening diplomatic ties.
