Shopping for property now part of tour packages to Johor
JOHOR: Eat, shop and find a property to buy. These activities are among tour packages now being offered to Chinese tourists visiting Johor, Malaysia.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said these packages were offered by outbound travel agencies in China working with Chinese property developers with ongoing projects in Johor.
The developers basically worked out a deal with travel agencies to include property dealing as part of its itinerary for a three-day visit to Johor, he told The Star on Thursday.
Following the tours, he said, would be a developer's sales representative who promotes the property, besides taking questions from these potential investors.
Mr Leong said shopping for property was just part of the programme and the major activities were still sightseeing, shopping and sampling of the local food, which required the service of local tour guides.
He said Chinese tourist arrivals had rebounded after a drastic drop when flight MH370 disappeared in 2014.
Tourists from China had regained confidence in Malaysia thanks to its easy online visa application and the quality of tour services, he said.
Beijing architect Hong Cheng Jie, 35, said he was in Johor to find a suitable property after hearing about the possibility from some friends who had visited Malaysia earlier this year.
"My family is planning to move out of Beijing one day as it is overcrowded and Johor is one of the destinations we are considering," said the father of one.
Mr Zheng Zhou, 31, a tourist from Guangzhou who came to Johor with his wife and father-in-law, said he used to think the general cost in Malaysia was higher than China, but was surprised to find it otherwise.
"I found the local food too spicy for my liking, but I enjoyed the aroma of white coffee," he said, adding he bought packs of the instant beverage as gifts for family and friends. - THE STAR
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