The upcoming Merdeka Day will give Malaysians the chance to go for a short yet rewarding break. Many are also stretching the holiday further by applying for extra time off before or after the three-day weekend.
The latest data by Agoda shows a surge in accommodation searches for stays between Aug 22 and Sept 7, compared with the same period last year. Stays in Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Langkawi (Kedah) and Kuantan (Pahang) are the most searched on the platform.
Searches for KK and Langkawi saw an increase of 53% and 69%, respectively. But Kuantan shows the most notable search growth, as searches grew 2.8 times this year, in comparison with the same period in 2025.
Aside from the top three searched destinations, other places in the country are also gaining interest. The largest increase is seen with Kota Baru (Kelantan), where accommodation searches rose around 3.6 times.
Miri (Sarawak) follows with a 2.4 times increase, Johor Baru (Johor) with 2.3 times, Ipoh (Perak) with 2.1 times and Kuching (Sarawak) with two times.
These findings suggest that more Malaysians are choosing easier-to-plan short escapes. They are also exploring more local getaways this Merdeka.
“Travellers are becoming more intentional with the time they have. Rather than waiting for a longer holiday, many Malaysians are planning trips around long weekends and school breaks while still seeking rewarding experiences,” Fabian Teja, country director, Malaysia and Brunei at Agoda, said in a press statement.
Teja added that “... it is encouraging to see continued interest in familiar favourites alongside destinations attracting renewed attention”, which shows that travellers are finding ways to balance comfort with curiosity.
Malaysian travellers are increasingly prioritising experiences when booking their getaways.
According to data from Klook Travel Pulse 2026 (2H Edition), Malaysians are showing their shift toward more intentional travel through their planning and spending.
Earlier bookings are made by one in two travellers (50%), in order to avoid peak-season hikes and secure better prices.
Moreover, one-third of Malaysian travellers (33%) who decided on going on fewer trips over the past six months ensured that they spent more time choosing ones that fit them best.
Now, even though travel costs are higher this year due to rising fuel prices and ongoing cost-of-living pressures across the Asia Pacific (APAC), almost half (45%) of Malaysian travellers are still confident about leisure travel in the second half of 2026.
Meanwhile, seven in 10 (69%) Malaysians are no longer planning their travels based on destinations. They seek experiences and better value instead, showing the highest deal-seeking rates in South-East Asia at 55%.
This puts Malaysia ahead of regional markets, including Singapore (47%), Thailand (51%) and Indonesia (35%).
“Cost pressures across APAC this year were real. It did change how people travelled, just not in the way you might expect,” Marcus Yong, vice president of global marketing at Klook, said in a press statement.
“The overwhelming response was to plan more carefully and not pull back, showing the enduring nature of travel and people’s unwillingness to compromise on experiences,” Yong added.
Fuelling this new wave of experience-led travel is the usage of AI in discovering new destinations, attractions and experiences. More than half (53%) of the Malaysian travellers surveyed are using AI to navigate real-time logistics to finding “hidden gems”.
Approximately 40% are using AI for on-trip assistance, using various tools for help in instant translation, mid-trip itinerary shifts and more.
A total of 37% are asking AI to unearth unique, off-the-beaten-path local places, and as many as 36% are using AI to check for transport routes or ways to get around.
That said, three in five travellers (60%) will first demand verified reviews on trusted travel platforms before proceeding at the checkout page.
Only 30% trust Artificial Intelligence-generated suggestions, with one in two travellers (50%) preferring to refer to official tourism boards or travel guidebooks before finalising their plans.
This shows that human validation is still necessary when it comes to consumer confidence, despite algorithms excelling at driving creative getaways.
