PETALING JAYA (ANN/THE STAR) – Melaka is trending on Chinese social media, thanks to Chinese actress Fan Bingbing’s recent appointment as the ambassador for Visit Melaka 2024 (TMM2024).
The buzz has seen a dramatic surge in searches for “Melaka,” highlighting the influential power of Fan Bingbing’s star appeal.
Fan’s PR manager, Jersey Chong, revealed that “Melaka” racked up over 320 million searches in just two days, according to the latest statistics from China’s WeChat.
On June 14, the search term “Fan Bingbing” hit a staggering 334,883,965 searches, while “Melaka” followed closely with 165,082,653 searches on the popular Chinese app.
The trend continued the next day, with “Fan Bingbing” amassing 461,138,243 searches and “Melaka” garnering 161,972,679 searches. In comparison, searches for major events like the “Shanghai International Film Festival” and the “Weibo Movie Awards Ceremony 2024” were significantly lower, highlighting the remarkable impact of Fan Bingbing’s endorsement.
“This surge in interest bodes well for a potential boost in tourism in Malaysia,” Chong mentioned in a Facebook post on June 18.
The renewed attention might also benefit the local durian industry, as Fan Bingbing recently expressed her love for the iconic fruit, potentially drawing food enthusiasts to Melaka.
Known for her roles in “The Empress of China” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Fan Bingbing officially took on her role as the TMM2024 ambassador on June 14.
Draped in a traditional Nyonya kebaya outfit, she was greeted by hundreds of cheering fans during her visit. She also held meet-and-greet sessions at various tourism and heritage sites.
