Malaysia is keen to increase the number of flights from Kerala, foreseeing a rise in the number of tourists from the State, Datuk Seri Santhara, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has said.

It is in line with efforts being made to catch up with the figure of five million tourists who visited Malaysia in 2019. Of them, 7.35 lakh were Indians, mostly from the south Indian States, an improvement of 22% over 2018, he said. Mr Santhara was addressing the media in Kochi on Monday as part of a road show organised by Tourism Malaysia.

Homestays in Kerala and villages in Malaysia had much in common, said Mr Santhara, whose forefathers are from Andhra Pradesh and whose wife hails from Kerala. The resumption of scheduled international flights from India coincides with the reopening of Malaysia’s international borders. Fully vaccinated travellers could enjoy quarantine-free travel to Malaysia and they were no longer required to undergo pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 tests, he added.

Special packages were on the anvil for travellers from Kerala, he said and invited entrepreneurs from the State to invest in Ayurveda, cuisine, and other aspects of tourism that it was famous for, especially in Malacca where efforts were on to create a hub for Indian tourists.

Approximately, 16% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is from tourism. This is Malaysia’s second roadshow in India this year, together with the Malaysia Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA). Kochi is hosting the show along with Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Tiruchirappalli.