Kuantan roadshow draws crowds with travel deals and tourism promotions
KUANTAN: The Star Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia 2026 began its first roadshow stop in Kuantan with a focus on driving domestic tourism spending across the local economy.
The three-day carnival at East Coast Mall by Tourism Malaysia and Star Media Group brought together travel agencies, hotels, attractions, food operators, craft sellers and other tourism players.
Tourism Malaysia senior director of domestic and events division Mohd Roslan Abdullah said the roadshow hopes to draw Malaysians to travel within the country while supporting the wider tourism ecosystem.
“Domestic tourism has always been the backbone of Malaysia’s tourism industry,” he said after officiating the Pahang edition of the carnival.
Roslan said domestic travel benefited the industry ecosystem, from hotels and travel agencies to transport operators, food traders and craft entrepreneurs.
He said the carnival also supported Tourism Malaysia’s Destinasi Indah, Harga Rahmah initiative by giving visitors access to value-for-money travel packages and tourism products.
“This is one way for us to give the industry a platform to promote their products at value-for-money prices,” he said.
The Kuantan stop featured travel agencies and tourism players offering packages for Pahang and other states including Penang, Melaka, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak.
Roslan said he hopes the Kuantan stop would generate at least RM200,000 in sales.
He said domestic tourism recorded 290.1 million visitors in 2025, up 21.3% from 260.1 million in 2024.
Domestic tourism expenditure also rose 13.3% to RM121bil in 2025 from RM106.7bil the previous year.
The positive trend continued into the first quarter of 2026, with 74.7 million domestic visitors recorded, up 7.2% from the same period last year.
Domestic tourism spending stood at RM34bil during the same period.
The carnival, themed “Explore, Experience, Excite”, is held in support of Visit Malaysia 2026.
It featured 36 vendors and exhibitors from various tourism segments.
Visitors were able to browse holiday packages, accommodation deals, attraction tickets, local food products, batik, craft items and destination promotions.
Among the products featured were Pahang batik, Terengganu’s Nasi Dagang Atas Tol, Sarawak kek lapis and Sabah-style cendol.
Batik Air also offered complimentary flight tickets to selected lucky draw winners during the carnival.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association deputy secretary-general Teh Tiong Lay said domestic travellers had become more independent in planning holidays, especially with online travel platforms.
“Domestic travellers can easily book hotels and packages online, so agencies have to improve their service and be competitive in pricing,” he said.
Teh said travel agencies needed to provide better value through service, professional handling and meaningful experiences.
“The value is not only in the price paid. It must be justified through the experience offered to customers,” he said.
Wyndham Garden Shahzan Fraser’s Hill and Shahzan Hotel Kuantan Trademark Collection by Wyndham cluster general manager Charles B. Peter said local travellers were showing interest in short domestic breaks.
“It is good to see locals showing more interest in travelling within Malaysia and exploring the attractions available here,” he said.
Charles said the group was offering packages that combined accommodation with dining and nearby activities, including horse riding, archery and boating in Fraser’s Hill.
Only World Group Holdings Bhd sales and business development director Kenny Wong said family attractions such as Wet World Shah Alam and The Top Penang received encouraging response from visitors.
“One customer bought 20 tickets for Wet World because they were planning a family trip with several families,” he said.
Kuantan 188 general manager Khalisa Azman said the roadshow allowed the tower to promote discounted tickets and upcoming programmes.
She said Kuantan 188 was offering a 50% discount on tickets during the roadshow.
“People are not just buying tickets, but also learning about our upcoming programmes,” she said.
Visitor Nurulhusna Abd Halim, who came from Gambang with her husband Mohamad Safuan Mohamad Idris, said she was looking for domestic travel deals after seeing the carnival promotion online.
“We usually travel two or three times a year, mostly within Malaysia.
“I want to introduce my children to the different cultures in each state,” she said.
The roadshow is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors nationwide.
After Kuantan, it will continue in Johor Baru from July 31 to Aug 2, followed by Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Petaling Jaya and Kuching.
