Malaysia, already a favourite destination for Indians, is going all out to woo Indian travellers, by rolling out aggressive marketing initiatives as part of its campaign – Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
The plan is to substantially raise the number of Indian tourists from the present figure of 600,311. India is the sixth-largest source of travellers to Malaysia and the annual spending of Indian tourists visiting Malaysia was USD 650 million. In the first six months of the current year, 354,000 Indians visited Malaysia, registering a 15.2 percent increase over the same period in the previous year.
Malaysia is aiming for 30 million tourist arrivals next year with a target of $24 billion revenue, through the initiative called Visit Malaysia Year 2020. The country is positioning itself as a value-for-money eco-tourism destination along with its arts and culture.
The Malaysian tourism authorities held tourism roadshows in four Indian cities – Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Cochin – recently to woo Indian tourists.
In terms of visa, the Malaysian government has eased entry process by launching eNTRI and eVISA. As many as 237 flights connect 14 cities in India directly to Malaysia, offering approximately 45,000 seats per week.
Malaysian also holds the advantage of cultural connection and comfort food, as more than 2 million people are of Indian origin. The country also has a wide variety of products from pristine beaches, rainforests, national parks to historic sites. Other attractions are Genting Highlands, Frasers Hill and Cameron Highlands. For trekking enthusiasts, there are various trails in the different nature reserves to try. For the more adventurous, they can attempt climbing Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia at 4,095 metres.
Recently, EaseMyTrip has teamed up with Malaysia Tourism Board to promote the destination amongst Indian tourists and offer customised tour packages for Malaysia at attractive rates.
