“Tourism players here are no longer enjoying flourishing arrivals like before,” he said, adding that among the biggest drops was during China’s “golden week” period last year.

China’s National Day holiday period, also known as the golden week, is the peak tourism season as it is when many of the country’s nationals go on vacation overseas.

Melaka, said Chew, used to get the lion’s share of China tourists to Malaysia during the golden week, but last year’s figures were disappointing.

He urged the state government to publicise more detailed statistics on hotel occupancy and tourism receipts.

“We are impartial. The reason we are raising our concern is because we want to work closely with the state to woo big spenders,” he said, adding that the state government must do more to promote Melaka to China tourists.

Work was also needed to correct the perception that Malaysia is anti-China, he said.

Chew said his trade partners from China sent him a video clip which purported that Malaysia does not welcome China.

The video clip, which is circulating in China, shows certain leaders of Malaysian NGOs making remarks on racial and religious issues.

Chairman of the Melaka chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotel (MAH) Abu Hassan Ismail said there had been a drop in hotel occupancy rates in the state.

“Its difficult for us to provide an exact figures due to a disparity in occupancy rates among the different categories of hotels, but MAH feels there has been an overall drop.

“We urge the state government to implement innovative ways which can help woo more tourists,” Abu Hassan said.

Melaka tourist trishaw rider Isa Mursid, 42, said there had been a drop in the number of tourists not just from China, but from Europe and Japan as well.

“I have been a trishaw rider for 12 years and can feel the impact now.

“Previously I could see 100 tourist buses ferrying Chinese tourists in a day, but now it has dropped to about 30,” said Isa.