Chandigarh, Feb 26: Malaysia plans to extend e-tourist visa facility to travellers from India as it hopes to attract 10 lakh tourists from the country this year as against 7,22,141, who visited last year.
“We are eyeing 10 lakh Indian tourists this year,” Dato Daljit Singh, Indian Community Relations Advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia, said here on Thursday.
He said tourism sector contributes 12 per cent to Malaysia’s GDP and India has always been an important market.
Singh, also a member of the Tourism Malaysia Board of Directors, said the country is working on e-tourist visa for China and the facility may be offered to the India as well.
“After we complete working with the Chinese government, as we are in the middle of the process, then we are also going to work with the Indian government on e-visa,” he said.
Asked if visa-on-arrival can also be on the cards for Indians, he said, “We can look at all these subjects. We get a lot of suggestions from local (travel) agents. Slowly, we will take up these issues”.
Bulk of Indian tourists to Malaysia come from Delhi and Mumbai, he said, adding there has been a significant increase in the number of young couples visiting the country.
As part of its efforts to raise awareness on ‘Malaysia as a destination of choice’, Tourism Malaysia has embarked on a ‘Sales Mission’ to India and Sri Lanka between February 25 and March 3.
Singh and Musa Yusuf, another senior functionary from Tourism Malaysia, are leading a delegation of officials of Malaysia Tourism Board as part of the Mission, which will cover several Indian cities including Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kochi, besides Colombo.
“Two million Indians live in our country, therefore, Malaysia is like second home for tourists from India, with all types of Indian food available,” Singh said.
