Could halal-friendly destinations draw Malaysian tourists to China?

In a bid to boost its pandemic-stricken tourism sector, Chinese tourism professionals seek to draw in Malaysian tourists with halal-friendly travel packages.

Not only does this move aim to uplift the travel industry, but it will also deepen diplomatic and economic ties with one of Southeast Asia’s largest Muslim nations.

The move itself is timely thanks to the current surge in Malaysian interest in various tourist destinations in China born of recently eased visa regulations.   

Over the past year, industry analysts noted a 20 percent increase in the number of Muslim-Malay travellers making their way to China, specifically to historically Islamic regions like Xinjiang and Ningxia.

Stronger demand at trade fairs

Just last week at this year’s Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair, observers noticed a strong demand for Chinese travel packages, a third of which aimed for the attention of Malaysian Muslims.

According to MATTA president Nigel Wong: “The post-pandemic era and China’s lifting of travel restrictions [are the factors driving] this surge. With increasing awareness of halal-friendly facilities and food options, destinations like Xinjiang, Xi’an and Ningxia are becoming prime locations for Muslim tourists.”

The rise in interest coincides with enhanced visa agreements between China and Malaysia. These were first announced during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s state visit to the country back in June to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

More recently, Tourism Malaysia took 200 participants from Chinese online tourism platform JD.COM on a FAM tour of various Malaysian destinations, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, and Melaka, to help them draw Chinese travellers into the Southeast Asian country.