Google: International travel demand among Malaysians at 90% pre-pandemic levels

There was a sharp increase in travel demand among Malaysians following the announcement of the reopening of borders for international tourists. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

Demand for international travel among Malaysians has increased so much it is almost on par with pre-pandemic levels, said Google.

The technology company, through its Google Search trends, found that travel demand has picked up following the reopening of the country’s borders on April 1.

Google Malaysia managing director Marc Woo said the trends indicated a revival of travel among Malaysians now that many borders around the region are open again.

“In Malaysia, we’re seeing a steady recovery of international travel demand which has already climbed to 90% of pre-pandemic levels, and an explosion of domestic travel demand as Malaysians rediscover the country’s destinations,” he said.

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According to Google, there was a sharp increase in travel demand following the announcement of the reopening of borders for international travel. Between March 27 and April 4, international travel demand had already climbed to 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

The company said this highlights the pent-up demand for overseas holidays among Malaysians. Some of the top travel destinations by demand are big cities, and there is also a growing interest in European countries.

Meanwhile, domestic travel demand has spiked with many Malaysians making the most of the country’s rich natural and cultural offerings. Intent for in-country travel in Q1 2022 beat 2019 levels by 30%.

“Malaysians have been increasingly searching for staycations (three times as compared to 2019) and transit bus services (51% year-on-year growth), as well as exploring theme parks, heritage towns and other destinations such as George Town, Langkawi and Cameron Highlands,” Google said in a statement.

The company also revealed that search trends make it clear that the travel environment today is more complex than it was before the pandemic. This is reflected in the travel preferences of travellers.

“People are spending more time researching, planning and finding options, seeking peace of mind, and making sure they’re covered for unexpected changes. We saw year-on-year growth of more than 400% in travel insurance related searches in Malaysia,” Google said.

Other notable trends among Malaysian travellers are hassle-free leisure holidays (searches for “all-inclusive resorts” are up 120% year-on-year) and the rise of exclusive private accommodation options (interest in vacation rentals rose 11 times year-on-year).

Finally taking off

The rising demand in international travel was something that was discussed at the recent World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Manila, the Philippines.

The council and travel analytics company ForwardKeys forecast a major increase in global international flights bookings as international travel takes off, especially in Asia-Pacific.

This acceleration is attributed to the gradual removal of travel restrictions in Asia.

More recently in Malaysia, travel rules were further eased as the country moves forward to the endemic phase.

Now, fully vaccinated travellers entering Malaysia don’t need to undergo pre- departure and on-arrival Covid-19 tests. They are also not required to undergo quarantine.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, said that the same standard operating procedure does not apply to partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.

“For partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, the requirement for them to do an RT-PCR test two days before departure and a supervised RTK-AG test within 24 hours upon arrival remains applicable.

“These groups of travellers (18 years old and above), are also to undergo a five-day quarantine upon their arrival in Malaysia,” he told reporters a press conference recently.

This step in further easing travel restrictions was something that was mentioned by ForwardKeys vice president (Insights) Olivier Ponti at the WTTC Global Summit.

“It is very encouraging that Asia has finally begun re-opening, which is driving the return of both travel to Asia and within the region, both of which are clearly going to be instrumental in driving the global economic recovery,” he said.

During a press conference at the summit, Ponti revealed that Asia-Pacific countries also saw an increase in arrivals for Q1 of this year compared to 2021, with bookings for the region up 275%.

The Philippines is the fastest-growing single destination in South-East Asia, 29% up in Q2 this year compared to Q1.

Meanwhile in Europe, destinations such as Iceland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and France are showing a strong resurgence with travel bookings just slightly behind pre-pandemic levels.