Actress Fan Bingbing spurs durian interest among Chinese tourists in Malaysia

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in Malaysia. Photo from Fan's Instagram

The Star reports that the phenomenon was noticed by Low Chee Leong, a member of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly, as he visited a durian stallon Jalan Tun Perak street in Melaka to interview Chinese visitors there.

"The stall owner wanted me to see the number of Chinese tourists patronizing his roadside stall following the spike in durian frenzy after Fan’s promotion," he said on Thursday.

"We have seen a steep increase of tourists from China over these few weeks and many told me that they wanted to taste the same durian that the Chinese actress uploaded in her social media page while visiting here in June."

Low also noted a significant rise in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the stall during their summer holidays from July 1 to Aug. 31 this year. He mentioned that for durian enthusiasts from China, tasting the Musang King and Black Thorn varieties had become the most highlighted activity on their itineraries.

Additionally, he observed that these tourists find the durians more affordable in Malaysia compared to China and value the unique tasting experience offered by the diverse varieties available.

"Furthermore, these tourists can enjoy the freshest durians while holidaying here as well as tasting different types of local fruits," Low added.

Local travel agencies are responding to this interest by including savoring durians in their tour offerings, according to Low, and tour guides have received positive feedback from these trips.

Fan, who began her career in entertainment at 17 and is now 43, has achieved international fame as an actress, model, television producer, and singer. She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017.

She has maintained a low profile following a US$128 million fine for tax evasion in 2018.

Appointed as a tourism ambassador for Melaka earlier this year, the actress is expected to leverage her popularity to boost local tourism, as per The Straits Times.