Frequent Malaysia-China Exchanges Drive Tourism Growth. Yeoh Soon Hin: Penang Highly Favored by Chinese Tourists

Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin, Vice Chairman of the Malaysia Tourism Board, pointed out that in recent years, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia has continued to grow, with Penang being particularly popular among Chinese tourists. In addition to George Town's world cultural heritage, food culture, and eco-tourism resources, Penang is also actively promoting the development of medical tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism, and cruise tourism, constantly enhancing its competitiveness in international tourism.

He stated that Penang, known as the "Silicon Valley of the East", not only holds international influence in high-tech manufacturing but is also an important multicultural tourism city. In the future, it can further strengthen cooperation with Chengdu in areas such as the digital economy, creative industries, and youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

He made these remarks during the opening of the 2026 Chengdu International Sister Cities Cooperation and Development Conference held recently in Chengdu, China, and during an interview with Chengdu Radio and Television.

Yeoh Soon Hin pointed out that Malaysia and China have long maintained a deep and friendly relationship, with significant cooperation achievements, especially in tourism, cultural, and economic and trade sectors. As the mutual visa-free policy between China and Malaysia continues to advance, exchanges between the peoples of the two countries have become increasingly frequent, further injecting strong growth momentum into their bilateral cultural and tourism industries.

He said that China remains one of Malaysia’s most important international tourism markets, while Sichuan, as a major economic and cultural center in western China, boasts abundant natural landscapes, historical culture, and culinary resources. In the future, there is broad cooperation potential with Malaysia in tourism promotion, cultural exchange, convention economy, and youth development.

“Chengdu and Penang are both international cities with rich historical and cultural heritage as well as modern urban vitality. In the future, the two sides can further deepen cooperation in cultural arts, culinary tourism, air connectivity, film production, cruise tourism, and smart tourism, promoting more two-way tourism and investment opportunities.”

The 2026 Chengdu International Sister Cities Cooperation and Development Conference, themed “Openness and Win-win, Cooperation for the Long Term,” was hosted by the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government and organized by the Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. It attracted 37 sister city government delegations from 28 countries and 5 international organization delegations, jointly exploring new opportunities in international sister city cooperation.

During the conference, Yeoh Soon Hin also engaged with multiple international sister city representatives and leaders of local Chinese governments, sharing Malaysia’s—especially Penang’s—experiences in tourism promotion, cultural preservation, port development, and sustainable urban construction. He also welcomed more Chinese tourists and enterprises to travel, invest, and cooperate in Malaysia.

He emphasized that against the backdrop of gradual global economic recovery and deepening regional cooperation, strengthening ties between international sister cities will help promote people-to-people connections, cultural exchanges, and regional economic development, injecting new vitality into global tourism and urban cooperation.