JOHOR BARU: While Keretapi Tanah Melayu’s electric train service (ETS) is expected to draw more visitors to Johor, hoteliers say it may take time before its impact is felt.
The service, which has been operating up to Segamat since March and extended to Kluang on Aug 30, has yet to deliver the benefits many had anticipated.
Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association Johor chapter chairman Jarod Chia said occupancy rates for hotels in the two districts have shown little change.
“For Kluang, the occupancy rate in August increased slightly compared with the previous month.
“However, in Segamat, the occupancy rate of our hotels dropped over the past two months compared with June.
“For now, we have not seen much change. Perhaps the impact will only be felt once the service reaches Johor Baru,” he said.
Chia said while the service, expected to reach this city by year-end, would support Visit Johor 2026 and Visit Malaysia 2026, the success of both campaigns would depend more on promotions and collaborations.
“Information on the ETS should also be easily available by now so that people can start getting used to it,” he added.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Malaysian Association of Hotels Johor chapter chairman Ivan Teo said it would take at least three months for the ETS to start bringing in more visitors once it reaches here.
“It is too early to see the effects now since it has yet to reach Johor Baru, where the crowd really is.
“Even then, it will take a little getting used to as the visitors, particularly the Singaporeans who make up a huge percentage of our tourists, often travel by car or bus.
“Making information about the ETS available will help ease the transition,” he said.
He suggested placing more billboards or videos about the ETS in high-traffic areas such as malls and immigration checkpoints.
