Re-entering Chinese tourists will help Malaysia’s foreign revenue grow

Datuk Tan Kok Liang, head of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta), believes that Chinese tourists will return in huge numbers once Beijing eases travel restrictions for its residents.

“We feel China has a huge impact on the tourism industry in Malaysia and the entire Asean area.” “We hope to see a rise in direct flights between China and Malaysia in accordance with the desires of the citizens of both countries, as well as visa updates and tourism investments,” he said.

Tan stated that China had been Malaysia’s biggest economic partner for the past 13 years, and bilateral trade had expanded even during the height of the global Covid-19 outbreak. Despite the pandemic, he stated that China-Malaysia commerce increased 5.7% to US$131.16 billion (RM579.72 billion) last year. Last year, the bilateral trade volume between Malaysia and China surged by 34.5% to $176.8 billion (RM781.45 billion).

The Malaysian Tourism strategy to attract more Chinese tourists

Prior to the pandemic, on January 19, 2020, Matta had scheduled a variety of mini-shows to commemorate the “Malaysia-China Year of Culture and Tourism,” with China’s vice-minister of culture and tourism presiding. “Matta also desires China to be the favorite travel destination for Malaysians, as Muslim tourism to China is a developing business.” Matta invited Ouyang to climb the famed Mount Kinabalu in view of the rising commercial investments, business, and trade operations between Sabah and China, he said.

Tan stated, “We have offered to Ouyang the potential of establishing a commercial bank branch in Kota Kinabalu.” Meanwhile, Ouyang reported that 3,1 million Chinese tourists had visited Malaysia in 2019, compared to 1,38 million Malaysians.

Marketing strategies to attract Chinese tourists

Social media

China is the most connected country in the world, with more than 90 percent of the population having an account on at least one Chinese social network.

WeChat, with over 1.2 billion registered users, is the most popular social media platform in China, and regardless of the size of your business, it is a vital platform for developing your marketing plan in the nation.

By advertising your business on social networks, you may build a community around it, reach your target audience, receive feedback, and create a more approachable company image.

E-reputation

In China, a positive internet reputation is crucial. Public Relations should be one of the cornerstones of any digital marketing plan. Using online Public Relations to increase your company’s exposure and visibility among Chinese travelers is more significant than simply attracting Chinese visitors to your website.

Internet consumers in China spend over 40 percent of their free time online; thus, you should prioritize online public relations.

SEO on Baidu

Bring your website to the attention of Chinese customers using SEO on key search engines (Google and Baidu).

Imagine that you appear on the first page of search results for the relevant keywords for your business, for example “Upscale Travel France.” The bulk of Chinese tourists who desire to come to France will conduct online research and price comparisons. Typically, they will obtain this information from Chinese local agencies rather than specialized firms.

Having effective SEO will encourage visitors to request estimates. This will also afford you the ability to influence Chinese government agencies and modify their requirements in your favor. 

GMA case study

Tourism is a flourishing industry in Asia, especially in China. With nearly 60 million outbound Chinese tourists in China in 2016, the Chinese market represents one of the largest in the world, with still great potentiality. Chinese people going on travel is a growing trend, thanks to their better living standards nowadays. Cruise travels are more and more appealing to Chinese travelers. Company CroisiEurope has pioneered river cruising on the most beautiful waterways in Europe and is Europe’s largest and most experienced river cruise line. They are now targeting Chinese travelers. Goal Increase their visibility among Chinese consumers

Albania is a medical travel facilitator to help patients seek affordable healthcare in Albania. It works with several hospitals around the country, including its flagship hospital AlbMedica Hospital. It is estimated that medical tourism in Albania has a potential worth of approximately 300 million euros, which is the equivalent of 1.7% of GDP and represents one-fourth of the total export revenue. Due to successful offline store operation, the clinic wants to build more effective two-way communication with Chinese consumers. Therefore, contacted GMA to help them develop a personalized digital marketing plan.

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