In order to make up for an expected shortfall in arrivals from China as a result of the Wuhan flu outbreak, efforts are being made to woo tourists from places such as India and the Middle East.

National Tourism Action Council member Eric R. Sinnaya said this was decided at a recent high-level meeting among the Health Ministry, tourism authorities and representatives from the travel trade.

Sinnaya said the efforts were to ensure the success of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign.

Renewed efforts to woo Chinese tourists to Malaysia would be made once the outbreak has been contained, he added.

Malaysia stopped issuing visas to travellers from China last week in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus, known scientifically as 2019-nCoV.

Four cases of the coronavirus infection have been detected in Malaysia. All infected are Chinese nationals.

The outbreak that began in Wuhan has claimed over 100 lives in China and has been detected in several countries including Australia, Cambodia, Canada, France, Germany, the United States, Japan and Thailand.

Sinnaya said the public health authorities have been instructed to dedicate an online platform to disseminate information on the outbreak, provide updates and offer guidelines on managing foreign tourists and sanitation.

“Other plans include diverting direct charter flights to other inbound markets so they can bear the burden of tour cancellations, and to increase the frequency of domestic flights to boost connectivity,” he said.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Datuk Tan Kok Liang estimated that millions in losses could be incurred as a result of the outbreak.

“The coronavirus will affect the tourism industry. We hope it won’t last long, otherwise, the repercussions will be severe, not only in Malaysia but globally as well.”

A total of 2.41 million Chinese tourists arrived in Malaysia in the first nine months last year, making it the third largest inbound market after Singapore (7.8 million) and Indonesia (2.7 million).

Sinnaya urged tourism authorities to reach out to the European and American markets.

“Let’s have more innovative packages to leverage on our greatest assets – our diversity, heritage, the arts and culture and eco-tourism,” he added.