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The conflict in West Asia and broader global uncertainty are creating opportunities for Malaysia to attract more visitors from China, South Korea, Japan, and the wider Asean region, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Tourism) Chua Choon Hwa.

According to Chua, Malaysia’s tourism base remains firmly rooted in regional markets, with about 75% to 80% of tourist arrivals traditionally coming from Asean countries.


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00:09Because of the Media East conflict now, I know that maybe there are some transit hub from the Media East
00:16country, like the European and also the Media East visitors that are affected.
00:20So, I think Malaysia, we really expected to rely on the Chinese, Korean or Japanese. Most of them, the visitors,
00:27they will come to Malaysia.
00:28Statistically-wise, our focus, our tourists mostly is about 75-80% from this region, from the ASEAN region.
00:38So, in that sense, all the world has been focusing on ASEAN, but with the conflict now in the Middle
00:46East, it's just that we want to explore more for our ASEAN region.
00:52So, that is the part that we are talking about, but that doesn't mean that we are foregone.
00:57All those clients from Africa or even US, Europe, we will still be doing that because we do have a
01:05direct flight from that side and we do have other transit points.
01:09So, yes, we are worried about the effect, but we are thinking new ways of bringing them over to Malaysia.
01:17For the short term now, the solution, maybe we will focus on the Southeast Asia and also the Asian country.
01:24So, are we seeing this increasing on the March or April?
01:28Well, as I said, much data is not coming yet, so we need to wait for it.
01:34We only see data until February, which is very good.
01:38Yeah, it's a big increment kind of thing.
01:41March, we really need to wait for the data, and then from all this data, we can do further analysis.
01:46If we are anticipating that it's going to be lesser from, let's say, the long haul, like the Europe or
01:51US,
01:52is it really happening, or they via some other road and came over to Malaysia?
01:58We need to analyze that.
01:59But in the February data, is it the Chinese and the Japanese?
02:03Yeah, Chinese increase a lot, actually, in that sense.
02:06Roughly, how many percentage is it?
02:08I do have a figure for China's market the other day, during February.
02:13Oh, double digit growth.
02:14Double digit growth.
02:15Because of Chinese New Year holiday.
02:18But this year, how, how, what is our target for the Chinese visitor?
02:23We are, yeah, we are, we are, targeting is about 6 million.
02:28Yeah, we are, and we are, we are aiming for 7 million as well.
02:31Yeah, but it depends on the situation.
02:34Yeah, it is a good year, we are very hopeful.
02:36But, let's see, yeah, but as I mentioned, if, let's say, imagine if, it is quite difficult for them to
02:42go to,
02:42Middle East or beyond Middle East.
02:45Yeah.
02:45Maybe this is the place for them to come.
02:47In China alone, it's billions, they were talking about.
02:51Well, we can only be hopeful, and we are, my minister, with us, we are doing a lot of arrangement.
02:58Hopefully, with these changes of strategy, we can still achieve what we're aiming for.
03:03But for the short term, just now I mentioned, we temporary, just focus on, I mean, like, the promotion, our
03:09marketing or promotion.
03:10Just try to tell the Chinese or the Korean and the Japanese, they actually can come from the Malaysia through
03:18the China airline or something.
03:19Because I know that, I think, we have Monday or weekly, we have more than China airline direct flights to
03:25Malaysia.
03:26And some of the Europeans, they also can take the transit from China.
03:29You see, this kind of marketing or promotion is work?
03:31Well, in our region, here in Asia, actually, we don't have, our so-called air route is not really affected
03:39counting.
03:40I think the only thing that is affecting right now is the price.
03:49Oh, okay.
03:54But if travelling to somewhere else is much more expensive, maybe, that would change their mind as well, that they
04:00want to travel around this area rather than to go, I mean, beyond this area.
04:05I see.
04:05The effect might increase for you too.
04:08Because I interviewed some of the players that were suggest to, like, maybe the Russians or the Europeans, they can
04:13take the transit from China to China.
04:15Yes, yes.
04:16Actually, that's one of the strategies that we are planning.
04:20How to, I mean, without going to Middle East and then to other transit.
04:25Then how long you will take the engagement to actually, in the final, analyze the review the BC Malaysia year?
04:31How long it will take?
04:32Well, it involves a lot of players.
04:35Yeah, so, it is not just our decisions, it's their decisions as well.
04:40They'll need to test it out as well, right?
04:42I mean, it is an investment for them as well.
04:45And then because, if you use the new hub, the connectivity need to adjust like what Mr Chua said.
04:50Because it involves calls and everything, they have to re-route and everything.
04:53All the arrangements are different.
04:54So normally, they don't use, we don't use Aishe as a hub.
04:57You know, especially from China, Korea, something like that.
05:01Normally, the Middle East carrier, they have a good connectivity to the Europe and everything.
05:05So when we change, that's why it takes time.
05:07Because, like Mr Chua said, the oil prices to re-route and then, it's not our decision.
05:12So it's the airline decision as well.
05:14So are we seeing the March actually the zero visitor from the Middle East, is it?
05:18I won't say so, actually.
05:19We don't say it's all zero.
05:21Oh, okay.
05:22That's why I mentioned that we are quite hopeful.
05:24Yeah, we want to see the data to really able to tell the story.
05:27Okay.
05:28It is not a lot of assumptions, right?
05:30Yeah.
05:30So we want to look at the data rather than to assume and then make a decision kind of thing.
05:35Then how soon can we release the data?
05:36We've all been waiting also.
05:37Yeah, we're also waiting.
05:39Yeah.
05:39Okay.
05:39Normally, we need to wait for the customer and DOSM to provide us with all those data.
05:45Then we can able to analyze.
05:47Oh, okay.
05:48I understand.
05:48Definitely, it's going to be by end of a much early April kind of thing.
05:52Thank you very much and warmest.
05:54Welcome.
05:55Today is the tenth day of the celebration of the key of the Harun Rai celebration moment.
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