KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Xinhua) -- With thousands of visitors, the second edition of the "Nihao! China" Travel Fair (Malaysia) has highlighted the popularity of China as a tourism destination while also playing an important role in strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

Held at the Pavilion Bukit Jalil Exhibition Center in Kuala Lumpur, the promotional event ran from June 13 to 15, covering 3,000 square meters and featuring more than 200 booths. It showcased top Chinese tourist attractions to locals and drawing huge interest from those seeking to visit the country.

Among those present at the launching ceremony was Yeoh Soon Hin, deputy chairman of Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, who noted in his speech that cultural and tourism cooperation between Malaysia and China has grown increasingly robust and fruitful.

For his part, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia Zheng Xuefang said China has continued to optimize policies for inbound tourism in recent years.

"As the benefits of these facilitation policies continue to unfold, more and more international tourists are choosing to travel to China, enjoy China, and love China," he said, adding that the international appeal and reputation of inbound tourism to China are steadily rising.

Among members of the Malaysian public who came to visit the fair were Siti Sara Harun and Hafiz Ghazali. Siti, who had previously visited China's ancient capital Xi'an, is now looking to travel to another historical city.

"It is very easy to get around, even in places that you would think are distant or rural. The cities are clean and neat, and e-payments are accepted almost everywhere," Siti said.

For his part, Hafiz said he wanted to explore tourist spots across China via its vast high-speed rail network.

"I have heard and read so much about it, and I want to see it firsthand. I'm sure that I will find a suitable travel package at the fair that will allow me to do this," he said. ■