KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming has appealed to the government to consider granting visa exemption for Chinese tourists, and if that is not possible, to expedite the process of visa application.
Pang thanked the government for waiving visa fees for Chinese travelers but he said the response from the Chinese counterpart was not as keen.
While the visa fee is waived, Chinese tourists still have to fork out 120 yuan for the processing fee.
“I do concur with them (Chinese travelers) in the sense that it is not a matter of money. Visa fee is not a consideration for those who want to come to Sabah,” he said in a press conference on the formation of the Sabah Tourism Federation here yesterday.
Pang said Chinese tourists were spoilt for choice; Sabah and Malaysia are not the only destinations with nice beaches.
More importantly, he said many Chinese tourists were last minute travelers who wanted the convenience of obtaining their travel visa in the shortest time possible.
Unlike European, Australian and American tourists who plan their travels up to a year ahead, Chinese tourists usually decide at the last minute to go travel, he said.
The process of applying for a visa in Malaysia, which can take a minimum of three to four days, becomes an obstacle for Chinese travelers who decide to holiday in Sabah at the last minute, Pang explained.
“I am passing on the words of my friends from China. They have appealed to our government to consider making visa application as easy as possible.”
At present, Pang said there are four visa application centres in China, located at Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Kunming.
In the age of computer technology, Pang suggested that the government could possibly shorten the visa application process to 24 hours by using the Internet.
Pang said that our government might need to invest, but he believed that the benefits would outweigh the costs given the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and spending power of the Chinese.
He also said that the number of chartered flights from China to Sabah had reduced to less than 10 for this Chinese New Year.
“By simplifying things, shortening the process or forgo visa applications will have a direct impact on chartered flights. It will be an incentive for people to board chartered flights when they can get their visa approved at the last minute,”Pang said.
If Sabah were to compete with countries like Thailand which grants Chinese tourists visa-free travel into the country, the playing field must be level, he said.
Pang said Chinese travelers could provide the numbers, and if Sabah wanted to hit any target, we have to take Chinese tourists seriously.
On another note, Pang said the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment would be starting its tourism promotion campaign in China.
He pointed out that the ministry has halted promotions in China for a number of months due to recent incidents and out of respect for the victims’families.
“It is time to re-engage and kick off promotions in China,” he said.