PETALING JAYA: The Festival of Lights has indeed shone on domestic tourism with hotels, budget accommodations and homestays hitting an impressive 80% occupancy rate.
Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) president Dr Sri Ganesh Michiel said occupancy peaked at 80% during the three-day Deepavali holiday, with some states recording rates as high as 70%.
“For instance, Penang, Cameron Highlands, Port Dickson, and Melaka experienced robust occupancy rates. Even Langkawi reached a commendable 70% occupancy rate,” he said.
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(Prior to the Deepavali break, there had been reports about Langkawi being rather quiet on the tourism front. However, the island saw a buzz during the long weekend.)
Sri Ganesh said Malaysian visitors were the primary clientele although there were also foreign tourists opting for budget stays in Penang.
He expressed optimism that the coming year-end school holidays would bring another surge in hotel occupancy rates.
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Malaysia Homestay Association president Datuk Sahariman Hamdan highlighted the popularity of “kampung stays,” which recorded a remarkable 100% occupancy rate, particularly in Pahang, Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“Guests, mostly locals on three-day and two-night ecotourism trips, preferred nature-centric experiences.
“We observed that some foreigners chose homestays in Penang and Melaka to immerse themselves in heritage culture,” he added.
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He also said homestays in Langkawi achieved a 70% occupancy rate during the Deepavali break.
For now, he is looking forward to year-end occupancy rates, saying that the previous year recorded an 11% increase.
He highlighted a cyclical pattern among homestay guests, suggesting that those who experienced homestays this year could return again after about a year.
Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Lim Choong Sean said there was an 80% to 90% occupancy rate during the long Deepavali weekend.
Despite the constant rainfall of late, he said hotels ranked three stars and above maintained their favourable occupancy rates.
“In general, major city hotels, including those in Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Penang, and Johor Baru, recorded a rate of 80%.
“Hotels near the beach, such as Desaru and Port Dickson, also reported good occupancy rates,” he added.
However, he said that those in Kelantan, Melaka and Langkawi had faced “challenges.”
