Some areas hope for more foreign students and visitors because of the new United States restrictions on people from seven Muslim-majority countries. The U.S. order includes a 120-day suspension of refugee admissions and a 90-day entry ban for individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Asia’s largest budget airline company, Air Asia, is based in Malaysia, one place hoping to profit from the restrictions. The head of the company, Tony Fernandes, suggested the U.S. move could lead to more Muslims traveling to Southeast Asia. “With the world now getting more isolationist, it’s time for ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to start making it easier for tourists to come.” Fernandes published the comment on the social media network Twitter. Malaysia is a popular stop for tourists from the Middle East. Nearly 200,000 people arrived there in 2016 from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar, the Reuters news service reported. Many people go to Malaysia for medical treatment. Because most Malaysians are Muslim, it is easy for visitors to find halal food products. Other countries also hope to profit from the U.S. travel restrictions.
