Joyful moment: Visitors at the Star Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia at Paradigm Mall Convention Centre in Johor Baru can also snap photos with the adorable Visit Malaysia 2026 mascots, Wira and Manja. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: The Star Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia (SKCCM) has made its way south to Johor, offering attractive travel packages and “super murah” deals for holidaymakers.
Held at the Paradigm Mall Convention Centre until tomorrow, visitors can explore 70 booths by travel agencies, hotels, resorts, theme parks, tourist attractions, homestay operators, as well as local craft and food product vendors.
Visitor Farah Syafinas Jamaludin, 35, was happy to clinch a great deal for a getaway to Desaru.
“When I saw the promotion at SKCCM for a standard room at Bayu Balau Beach Resort at only RM120 from the usual RM250, I knew it was too good to pass.
“I have stayed at the resort before and had a good experience, so I did not hesitate to sign up,” she said, adding that she found out about the carnival from TikTok.
Farah Syafinas, who works as an operations executive, added that she is also interested in family-friendly travel deals to Kundasang, Sabah, with her husband and two-year-old daughter.
Insurance agent Yap Ching Yee, 44, said she visited the carnival to survey travel promotions as she is planning a Cuti-Cuti Malaysia trip with her family next year.
Bargain hunting: Visitors looking for the best travel deals at the Star Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia, happening at Paradigm Mall Convention Centre in Johor Baru from Nov 7 to 9. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
“I brought along my younger sister, who is based in Segamat, and our niece to check out the carnival and enjoy the lively cultural performances.
“We also took some flyers home to discuss with our family members before making a decision,” said Yap, who stays nearby in Taman Impian Emas.
Apart from the performances, she said she also enjoyed browsing the booths, which showcased a variety of items from apparel and accessories made from batik as well as food and beverage products.
Bayu Balau Beach Resort assistant sales and marketing executive Najwa Mohd Nizam said participating in the event as an exhibitor was part of their efforts to promote Desaru as an affordable holiday destination for families and couples.
“We are offering our ‘Super Murah’ sale throughout the three-day carnival, where our chalets are priced at RM80 and RM100 per night, depending on the design.
“On top of that, visitors can also sign up for our standard hotel rooms as well as waterpark packages at slashed prices as part of our efforts to promote Visit Malaysia 2026 and Visit Johor 2026,” she said.
On top of the beach breeze, guests can also enjoy activities like horse-riding, ATV and a swimming pool, she added.
Visitors to the SKCCM can also look forward to exclusive promotions of up to 60% for attractions such as the much-anticipated SNOW WORLD Genting Highlands, operated by Only World Group, said its sales and business development director Kenny Wong.
He said the newly-refurbished attraction is expected to reopen on Nov 15, featuring upgraded facilities and real snow for an immersive winter experience.
“Visitors can enjoy a special pre-opening promotion of RM49 per entry, a significant discount from the normal price of RM118, and this is available only during the SKCCM roadshow,” he said.
Wong highlighted that another family favourite under the group, Jungle Gym, is also expanding its footprint in Johor to offer adults and children a place to exercise their body and mind.
There are currently 14 Jungle Gym outlets nationwide, including one at Sunway Big Box in Iskandar Puteri, with two additional outlets in the pipeline set to open in SKS City Mall and Horizon Hill soon, he said.
Co-organised by Tourism Malaysia and Star Media Group, the SKCCM Johor event is the fifth stop following successful editions in Pahang, Selangor, Sarawak and Penang aimed at promoting Malaysia’s diverse destinations and cultural experiences.
Tourism Malaysia’s senior deputy director of domestic and events division Razaidi Abd Rahim said a unique part about the Johor leg of SKCCM is a business-to-business engagement with nine Singapore-based travel agents to strengthen inbound tourism cooperation and attract more Singaporeans to visit Malaysia in the coming year.
“The carnival is part of Tourism Malaysia’s broader effort to boost domestic travel while preparing for the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
“We want to encourage Malaysians to explore local destinations and support our industry players, including travel agents, tourism product owners and homestays.
“Being close to Singapore, Johor provides a great platform to attract both local visitors and Singaporeans. We hope this carnival will inspire more people to plan their holidays in Malaysia,” he said.
Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (Promotion II) Lee Thai Hung will kick-off the official event launch ceremony today.
