(Straittimes/ANN)-The number of tourists from China has surged since March, with most direct flights from China to Malaysia fully booked, the Star reported.

It is good news for the country as it heads towards Visit Malaysia 2020, but industry players are of the view that there should be additional flights, flexible visa policies and better infrastructure to cater to the growing numbers.

"We see that the number of tourists from China has been going up since March. Our members are welcoming 150 buses per day from Changi Airport in Singapore. This was up from 70 buses last year over the same period," said Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Uzaidi Udanis.

Mr Uzaidi said more flights from China to Malaysia were needed to cater to the growing demand, as most direct flights out of China into Malaysia were full.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president Tan Kok Liang said there should be more flights from China to Malaysia, especially from tier II cities such as Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fuzhou, Nanjing, Nanning, Ningbo and Xiamen, among others.

"There should be more packages based on clients' needs," he said.