PETALING JAYA: Nationwide hotel occupancy is expected to average about 70% during the National Day and school holiday period as more Malaysians opt to spend their break locally.
Domestic travel is expected to remain firm between Aug 28 and Sept 7.
“In fact, Negri Sembilan is showing more than 80% occupancy, while most states record around 70%.
“However, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Sabah and Sarawak are below 60%,” said Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) vice-president CS Lim when contacted.
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Lim said bookings for resort hotels in Port Dickson were stronger, mainly driven by families looking for leisurely breaks.
A recent promotion by MAH, supported by Tourism Malaysia and an online travel agency (OTA), had also produced encouraging results for hotels in Port Dickson, he said.
“Bookings are very destination-specific, mainly driven by leisure and family travel. We also expect more late bookings.”
Besides the National Day weekend celebration, the school holidays are from Aug 29 to Sept 6.
And Selangor folk has a special holiday today to mark the state’s achievement as the overall champion of the Malaysia Games (Sukma) which concluded on Aug 24.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said the rising cost of international airfares was one reason more Malaysians were choosing to travel within the country.
He said international airfares had become more expensive since the Middle East conflict began, making domestic holidays a more attractive option.
“Naturally, they will opt to travel closer to home or within the country itself.”
Wong also pointed to a renewed interest among Malaysians in local destinations, with new tourism products and attractions developed during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“People are looking for something new to do. They may choose to travel domestically rather than overseas.”
Malaysia, he said, remained an affordable and accessible option for many Malaysians.
Wong said family holidays continued to be popular, with theme parks, resorts, staycations and outdoor activities such as glamping attracting visitors.
He also noted a strong demand for road trips, particularly along the west coast, with Penang, Ipoh, and Melaka among the favoured destinations.
“For Sabah and Sarawak, outdoor adventures, particularly in Sabah, remain popular. But this is somewhat limited by the cost and availability of flights.”
Wong said demand for domestic travel was spread across the country, rather than concentrated in a few destinations.
“Our domestic section at the upcoming MATTA Fair from Sept 4 to Sept 6 has been doing very well, with good performance reported by all participating states,” he said.
Wong said he expects domestic tourism spending to be strong for the rest of the year, particularly as international airfares remain high.
Despite the higher cost of living now, he said Malaysians were still willing to spend on domestic holidays.
The trend comes as domestic tourism continues to show resilience this year, following a strong first quarter which saw 74.7 million local visitors contributing RM34bil to the economy.
Market indicators also point to steady demand for short, value-for-money trips, with nearly 70% of Malaysian travellers opting for shorter getaways to destinations such as Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi and Kuantan.
