Malaysian economists have foreseen the potential growth of Chinese tourists to boost the Southeast Asian country’s tourism industry.

PublicInvest Research said in its recent report that it expects China to contribute to the recovery of the global tourism industry, including Malaysia.

According to the research house, the resurgence of Chinese tourists will serve as a significant positive factor for the ASEAN region, albeit with a gradual recovery trajectory.

It is noteworthy that the total number of tourists visiting ASEAN countries has yet to surpass pre-pandemic levels.

While the Chinese government itself has actively encouraged tourism, the research house noted that the backlog of passport and visa renewals is substantial, necessitating a considerable amount of time to be cleared.

It anticipated that tourist arrivals may not surpass the previous peak recorded in 2019 until at least the first half of 2024.

PublicInvest Research also said that the reopening of China has yielded a remarkable influx of 178,150 Chinese tourists to Malaysia in the first quarter, a stark contrast to the meager count of fewer than 1,900 visitors during the corresponding period in the preceding year.

Its assessment suggests the potential for a complete recovery to the pre-pandemic level of 3.1 million Chinese tourists observed in 2019 by the first half of 2024.