KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Strengthened Malaysia-China air connectivity will sustain the upward trend in visitor flows between the two countries, as airlines ramp up services ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026, Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing said on Saturday.

Under the winter 2025 schedule, many Chinese airlines will continue expanding their networks in Malaysia, leveraging an extensive base across major Chinese cities.

"Most of these routes operate daily, with selected services temporarily increased during the Chinese New Year travel period to accommodate peak demand," Tiong said in a statement.

He added that the route map now covers major regions in East, North, Northwest and Northeast China, enabling passengers to fly more directly and conveniently to Malaysia's key tourist gateways, including Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Penang.

"Improved access is expected to attract more Chinese visitors, particularly in areas such as cultural experiences, culinary tourism, island holidays and eco-tourism. In turn, this will help unlock greater tourism spending and provide a more resilient boost to regional economic recovery," he added. ■