'Targetting 2M tourists from India by 2025-26'

kolkata: Tourism Malaysia on Friday conducted a roadshow headed by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia YB Datuk Seri Dr Santhara JP with an aim to increase tourism for the country. Bengal, along with North India, contributes about 30 per cent of the total number of tourists visiting Malaysia from India.

It is the second roadshow by Tourism Malaysia along with Malaysia Association of Tour and Travel Agent (MATTA) across four cities. It kicked off in Visakhapatnam, followed by Kolkata, Kochi and Tiruchirappalli.

According to the deputy minister, India has been one of the top market sources for Malaysia and has contributed 7,35,309 arrivals in 2019. After Covid-19 induced pandemic hit the world, tourism in Malaysia was affected badly. In 2020, the number of tourists had dropped. However, the business revived by 2021.

"I don't see why we cannot get two million tourists from India by 2025-26. This is my personal target and not from the government yet," he said.

Apart from the cultural tourism, Malaysia also witnesses a good amount of medical tourism from India, particularly Bengal. According to Tourism Malaysia, a lot of people from Bengal are travelling to Malaysia for knee surgeries. The knee surgery there is comparatively less expensive than India and the waiting time is also less.

Parallel to the existing tourism from India, the country is taking active action to make travel hassle-free and more attractive. Travellers to Malaysia no longer have to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival Covid tests; with fully vaccinated travellers not having to undergo quarantine.