President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that the number of visitors in Taiwan is expected to reach a record 5.2 million this year, mainly because improved cross- strait relations have brought more Chinese tourists. In the latest edition of his online video journal, Ma defended his administration's policy of allowing more Chinese tourists. 'I think I am doing the right thing, so I will continue to do it and not be afraid of criticism from others. The results of our policies are obvious,' Ma said. Total expenditures by visitors are expected to increase more than 13 percent from 2009 to NT$260 billion (US$8.29 billion) , of which NT$72 billion will come from Chinese tourists, said Tourism Bureau Director-General Janice Lai, who was invited as a guest speaker. Ma said that nearly 4.4 million people visited Taiwan in 2009, up 14.3 percent from 2008 -- the highest growth in the Asia Pacific region. Visitor arrivals in the first eight months of this year were up 27.5 percent year-on-year at 3.6 million, according to the Tourism Bureau. The daily average number of Chinese tourists in the period reached 4,477, of which more than 3,000 people traveled in groups, Lai said. Ma also said that tourists from Malaysia had shown a remarkable growth so far this year, rising 92 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of this year. Lai attributed the steep rise to airlines increasing the number of flights between Taiwan and Malaysia. She also said many Malaysian tourists preferred to travel without tour groups, staying in guest houses or riding bicycles. She said the Tourism Bureau planned to promote the Lantern Festival in the spring, local cuisine in the summer, cycling in the fall and hot springs in the winter. To celebrate the country's centenary next year, the bureau is also planning to launch a '100 best travel routes in Taiwan' campaign to attract more visitors, Lai said. 