KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 – A report by Maybank Investment Bank released yesterday noted that Malaysia is capitalising on a surge in Chinese tourists, with numbers expected to rise significantly by 2025.

This influx is driven by the "Xin-Ma-Tai” route, which links Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, attracting millions of Chinese visitors to Malaysia annually.

"Post-Covid, Malaysia and Singapore have emerged as winners in the race for Chinese visitors.

"Malaysia and Singapore are the only two countries in the top 10 list of countries most visited by Chinese with seat capacity (on flights) from China having surpassed pre-Covid levels.”

The report also said that Malaysia’s tourism expenditure from Chinese visitors may double to over RM30 billion by next year, highlighting the growing spending power of Chinese tourists.

It said that Singapore’s location as a neighbour plays a crucial role in this growth, as many Chinese tourists enter Malaysia by land after visiting Singapore.

The ease of travel between the two countries has boosted the attractiveness of the region for multi-destination tours, it said.

The "Xin-Ma-Tai” route — which connects Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand — has become a popular choice for Chinese tourists, contributing to Malaysia’s rising tourism numbers.

The report said gambling and aviation sectors are expected to benefit the most from the increased tourist flow, such as Genting Malaysia Bhd and Capital A Bhd.

Malaysia’s relaxed visa regulations have also contributed to the surge, it said, making it easier for Chinese visitors to enter the country without additional paperwork.

Tourism Malaysia has set an ambitious target of 5 million Chinese visitors for 2025, a goal that seems increasingly attainable with the current trends.

In 2019, 34.5 per cent of Chinese visitors entered Malaysia from Singapore, a figure that could grow even further with the region’s focus on tourism recovery.

China is crazy about Malaysia’s durians, with the export value expected to rise to a record RM1.8 billion by 2030.

The state of Melaka has also tapped popular actress Fan Bingbing as a tourism ambassador, resulting in tourist arrivals exceeding its initial target at nearly 10 million as of September.