Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 29: Tourist traffic from India to Malaysia continues to grow. It touched 315,000 visitors this year until September, compared to 270,000 for the whole of last year.

Indian travellers here have spent about RM724.7million so far this year, and according to Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director for India P. Manoharan, most of the Indian visitors belonged to well-off or richer class.

The Star quoted Manoharan as also claiming that his agency was successfully marketing Malaysia as an exciting and affordable tourist destination.

He said the uncompromising hospitality industry and affordable hotel rates, scenic vistas and a friendly cosmopolitan population, were the major draws.

He claimed Indian destinations become expensive at the year-end, due to visiting international tourists and non-resident Indians returning home for festivals and marriages during the auspicious period.

He added that it was far more expensive for Indians to go on local holidays at this time because demand was high. It would cost them 30-40 percent less to come to Malaysia, he said. (ANI)