Kuala Lumpur is the most searched domestic destination by Malaysian families for this school holiday season, according to digital travel platform Agoda.
Data derived from Agoda accommodation searches during the period of April 1-29, for stays between May 15-June 15, shows the capital city topping the list of domestic destinations searched by Malaysian travellers with at least one child.
Accommodation searches for KL are up 45% compared to last year. While Penang, which places second on the list, sees a 41% increase for the same criterion.
Coming in third, with a 96% increase, is Cameron Highlands (Pahang). Malaysian families are likely looking for cooler getaways due to the unusually hot weather that the country has been facing in recent months.
Melaka ranks fourth, with accommodation searches up 61%. Port Dickson (Negri Sembilan) places fifth but has the highest growth interest among the top five destinations.
The 130% increase in searches for places to stay in Port Dickson shows that Malaysian families seek a beachside getaway that is relatively easy to access.
Meanwhile, data by travel tech platform Traveloka shows a significant surge in travels to Malaysia’s East Coast during the first quarter of 2026.
More than 40% quarter-on-quarter growth was recorded for Traveloka’s combined bookings across the East Coast. During the period, Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu) and Kota Baru (Kelantan) emerged as the country’s first and third fast-growing destinations, respectively.
For Kuala Terengganu, Q1 2026 showed a 60% increase in bookings in comparison to Q4 2025. Over the same period, Kota Baru noted a 35% increase.
Local culture exploration and nature-led getaways are among the contributing factors to the higher bookings. The increase is also reflective of Malaysians’ pivot to domestic explorations in recent months, following the current uncertainties affecting global travels.
