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Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
This South-Asian country had over 10 million foreign visitors in Q1 2025, witnessing 22% increase compared to last year
Malaysia has seen a big rise in tourism. In the first quarter of this year, it welcomed 10.1 million foreign visitors, a 22% increase compared to last year. Malaysia has beaten Thailand to emerge as the most-visited South-Asian country. Thailand is facing a tourism crisis after safety concerns rose. In January, Chinese actor Xing Xing was kidnapped in Thailand. Recently, an Indian tourist in Thailand was attacked by a tiger while taking a selfie at a Thai wildlife spot. For Malaysia, most tourists came from Singapore (4.9 million), followed by China (1.12 million), Indonesia (1.08 million), Thailand and Brunei. For the first time, China passed Indonesia as the second largest source of visitors, mainly due to easier visa rules, VN Express reported. Malaysia, recently voted Asia's most loved country by Insider Monkey, introduced a 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian citizens in December 2023, according to Bernama. It has now extended this rule until 2026. The country also announced that Chinese tourists will be able to enter visa-free for five more years, possibly continuing until 2036. In 2024, Malaysia saw 3.29 million visitors from China, more than the previous year. The increase in tourism shows Malaysia's growing popularity as a travel destination in Asia, helped by friendly policies and better international ties. The Ministry of Tourism has yet to release the full tourist arrival data for January to March 2025. However, a summary report from January 2025 reveals the numbers for the month. In January 2025, India received 9.57 lakh foreign tourists, 13.9% lower than the number of arrivals in the same month of 2019. The United States was the top source of tourists, making up 20.6% of the total arrivals. It was followed by the UK (11.8%), Canada (7.1%), Australia (6.4%) and Malaysia (4.7%). Nearly half of the visitors (45.4%) came for leisure while 31.5% were part of the Indian diaspora visiting family and friends. About 9.7% arrived for business, 3.4% for medical reasons and the rest for other purposes. Delhi welcomed the highest number of tourists (33.9%), followed by Mumbai (19.6%), Chennai (8.8%), Bangalore (7.8%) and Cochin (4.7%).
Malaysia Sun
19-05-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
CHINA-SICHUAN-YA'AN-RETURNED GIANT PANDAS FROM MALAYSIA (CN)
Xinhua 19 May 2025, 13:45 GMT+10 (250519) -- CHENGDU, May 19, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Staff members greet giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang upon their arrival at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Bifengxia of Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 18, 2025. Giant panda pair Xing Xing and Liang Liang, who returned to China on Sunday after their 11-year stay in Malaysia, arrived at the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Bifengxia of Ya'an, and will be quarantined there for at least 30 days. The iconic giant panda pair, domestically known as Fu Wa and Feng Yi, were loaned to the Malaysian government in 2014 for 10 years to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China. (Photo by Li Chuanyou/Xinhua)
Malaysia Sun
18-05-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
Malaysians bid tearful farewell to giant panda duo Xing Xing, Liang Liang
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysians bid a tearful farewell on Sunday to giant panda pair Xing Xing and Liang Liang, who will return to China after their 11-year stay in the Southeast Asian country. Dozens of well-wishers and fans of the beloved panda pair gathered as early as 5 a.m. at the Giant Panda Conservation Center in Zoo Negara to see them off, with some travelling from other states to the national zoo located in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. As the vehicles arrived to transport Xing Xing and Liang Liang to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, many became emotional and frantically waved the giant pandas goodbye, with some capturing photos and videos to remember them by. Among those gathered was Zoo Negara Deputy President Rosly Rahmat Ahmat Lana, who said panda caretaker Mohd Saiffullah Md Yusuf would accompany the pandas to China and stay for a few days to help them settle in. "The pandas are in good health. We've always supported the panda conservation program. I truly appreciate the fans who presence shows how much they care," he told the media. The iconic giant panda pair were loaned to the Malaysian government in 2014 for 10 years to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China. They played a key role as "ambassadors" to the country, strengthening the bilateral bonds through the many thousands of Malaysian visitors who came to see them and learned about the conservation efforts carried out by China through information available at the center where they were housed. The giant panda pair were blessed with three cubs during their stay in Malaysia -- Nuan Nuan, born in 2015, Yi Yi, born in 2018, and Sheng Yi, born in 2021. All three were safely returned to China prior to their parents' return.
Malaysia Sun
18-05-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
MALAYSIA-KUALA LUMPUR-ZOO NEGARA-PANDAS
Xinhua 17 May 2025, 22:19 GMT+10 (250517) -- KUALA LUMPUR, May 17, 2025 (Xinhua) -- People pose for photos at the Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 17, 2025. As the giant panda pair Xing Xing and Liang Liang, formerly known as Fu Wa and Feng Yi in China, are scheduled to return to China on May 18, 2025, people on Saturday bid farewell to them at the Zoo Negara. The pair arrived in Malaysia on May 21, 2014. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
