KUALA LUMPUR: A recent survey conducted by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has found that destination attractions significantly influence Malaysians' decisions to holiday in Thailand.
The study, titled "Malaysian Outbound and Domestic Travel Behaviour", was undertaken in the first quarter of 2024 to explore the travel patterns of Malaysians, both domestically and internationally.
"The findings revealed that 41.9% of Malaysians were drawn to the allure of destinations in neighbouring countries," the ministry said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (Nov 28).
Financial considerations were the second most influential factor, with 25.5% of participants stating that their budget played a critical role in their travel decisions, it said.
The prospect of engaging in new experiences and activities was not far behind, influencing 24.9% of the respondents.
The survey further revealed that discount offers and word-of-mouth recommendations also factored into travel decisions, accounting for 5.7% and 4.2%, respectively.
Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) had asked the ministry why many Malaysians preferred to holiday in neighbouring countries such as Hatyai, Krabi, and Phuket in Thailand, rather than visit tourist locations within Malaysia.
Preliminary statistics reveal that from Jan 1 to Sept 30, 2024, Thailand welcomed more than 3.7 million Malaysian tourists, with 49.33% entering through the Sadao Immigration Checkpoint in Songkhla Province.
Meanwhile, as of August 2024, Malaysia received 1.1 million tourists from Thailand, marking a 19.7% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
Meanwhile, the media reported that more than RM100mil flowed into Thailand over the Malaysia Day long weekend as nearly 100,000 Malaysian tourists visited the country’s five southern provinces, with each spending at least RM1,000.
The amount takes into account a visitor or family spending a minimum of RM1,000 over the four-day holiday weekend in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.
