JAKARTA, March 6 — Apart from recreation, Indonesian tourists are looking forward to coming back to Malaysia to meet family members and seek medical treatment.

This was revealed in Tourism Malaysia’s four-day survey at the ‘Astindo Hybrid Travel Fair’ organised by the Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia (Astindo) which ended, here, today.

The main tourist locations in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Genting Highlands are very much missed by tourists, according to Tourism Malaysia’s director of marketing in Jakarta, Niko Johan Tanosa.

News reports on the opening of the country’s border gates has influenced them to travel to Malaysia.

Niko said: "We have explained that Malaysia has not fully opened its borders yet. However, tourists can go to Malaysia through the Langkawi International Travel Bubble programme.”

A total of 6,000 tourists from various countries participated in the programme, including 175 tourists from Indonesia since its introduction on November 15, 2021.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 3.6 million Indonesian tourists visited Malaysia in 2019.

Niko said they would hold the fifth Virtual Travel Mart Roadshow series in Bandung in preparation for Malaysia reopening its borders for tourism.

The roadshow, which brings together Malaysian and Indonesian travel agencies for hybrid marketing of holiday packages, has previously been held in Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Jakarta and Batam. — Bernama