Visa Fee Waiver A Boost To Tourism, Says RHB Research

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- RHB Research Institute says it believes the visa fee waiver for tourists, including from China, announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak Tuesday would boost tourist arrivals. The research house said visa appplicants could potentially save an average of US$13 (RM50) per application. "As of 9M14, both year-on-year and year-to-date recorded declines in average visitor spending, as a result of a decrease in China tourist arrivals, who are big duty-free spenders. "We expect tourist arrivals to improve in 2015 as the impact from the 2014 incidents start to normalise," it said in a note Wednesday. The government has budgeted US$87.2 million (RM316 million) for the tourism industry to stimulate tourism receipts in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015. -- BERNAMA