A year ago, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) was announced as Melaka’s tourism ambassador, sparking mixed reactions. However, it seems the controversial appointment paid off for the Malaysian state.
Earlier this week, Melaka Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh revealed that he had travelled to Hong Kong to meet with the Chinese actress to award the star a certificate from the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR). Fan Bingbing was recognised for “Largest Digital Hits for Malaysian Tourism on WeChat Platform Using Celebrity Ambassador” after Melaka recorded 1.5 billion digital impressions with the “Malacca x Fan Bingbing” campaign.
Ab Rauf Yusof said that Fan Bingbing’s appointment as tourism ambassador also helped lead to a significant increase in tourists to Melaka, particularly from China. The Chief Minister shared that the state had 204,818 Chinese tourists by December 2023 but welcomed 664,687 Chinese tourists by December 2024. He also said that her ambassadorship had catapulted Melaka into the global tourism spotlight.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Melaka will be the host for the World Tourism Day (WTD) 2025 and the World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2025 this 27th to 29th September 2025 (Saturday to Monday). While unconfirmed, Ab Rauf Yusof said that Fan Bingbing’s appointment as the state’s tourism ambassador had helped Melaka achieve this milestone.
Fan Bingbing and her Malaysian manager, Jersey Chong, have expressed thanks towards the Melaka state government for the MBOR recognition. In an Instagram post, Jersey wrote, “Gratitude to the Malacca state government for the unwavering trust, and to Bingbing for consistently promoting cultural exchange with sincerity and professionalism. We look forward to crafting more remarkable chapters together.”.
While Fan Bingbing’s appointment as Melaka’s tourism ambassador received mixed reactions, we can’t deny the impact that the actress has had. Here’s to hoping that the historic state will continue to become a must-visit destination for international travellers.
