PETALING JAYA: Rising travel costs are not stopping Malaysians from taking holidays, with more opting for domestic trips as travelling becomes part of their lifestyle.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said domestic travel was no longer seen as a luxury, with families continuing to spend money for holidays despite higher living costs and international airfares.
“Domestic travel has become a lifestyle already. It is no longer considered a luxury but a lifestyle requirement for modern families.
“So, we expect domestic spending to continue to be quite strong,” he said.
Wong said international airfares had become more expensive since the US-Iran conflict started, making local destinations a more affordable and accessible option for Malaysians.
He said the post-pandemic period had also renewed interest in what Malaysia had to offer, with new tourism products and attractions encouraging more people to explore the country.
Family-oriented packages, theme parks, resort stays and outdoor activities such as glamping were among the popular choices, he said.
Road trips to destinations such as Penang, Ipoh and Melaka were also popular, particularly among younger families.
Wong said demand for the domestic section at the MATTA Fair in September had exceeded expectations.
“We do expect to see strong domestic tourism growth, especially given the fact that the US-Iran conflict is still keeping airfares more expensive,” he said.
The trend is also reflected in booking data from Trip.com, with domestic flights, hotels and attractions booked by Malaysian users recording healthy double-digit year-on-year growth in the first half of 2026.
Trip.com Malaysia general manager Stephane Thong said domestic hotel stays averaged about 1.5 nights so far this year, slightly longer than last year.
Bookings for stays of six nights or more recorded the fastest year-on-year growth, he said.
“Local trips remain a popular choice among Malaysians, as domestic bookings continue to rise at a steady trajectory,” said Thong.
Based on Trip.com hotel bookings, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang were the top three domestic destinations among Malaysian travellers, followed by Johor, Sabah, Pahang, Sarawak, Perak, Melaka and Kedah.
Malaysians were also among the top three contributors to car rental bookings across Malaysia in the first half of 2026, particularly in cities with or near airports.
Thong said this suggested that some travellers were flying to other states and renting cars to get around during their trips.
Meanwhile, domestic hotel bookings more than doubled year-on-year during the Merdeka travel period from Aug 28 to Sept 6.
Thong said this was higher than the double-digit year-on-year increase recorded for the Malaysia Day period from Sept 12 to 20.
“With the school holidays coinciding with National Day, this likely made it a more popular travel window this year as families take this time to travel together,” he said.
For the Malaysia Day period, bookings for stays of four nights or more also recorded a mild increase, suggesting some travellers were extending their holidays around the mid-week public holiday.
Thong said shorter domestic stays remained common, with a larger share of one-night bookings taking place on weekdays.
“This could suggest short workations where Malaysians take short overnight getaways while working remotely,” he said.
Trip.com’s next domestic tourism campaign, in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysian Association of Hotels, will spotlight Port Dickson from Aug 25 to Sept 12.
