Malaysians Like Spending Holidays In Nearby Countries

      Malaysians Like Spending Holidays In Nearby Countries - In the first half of this year, Malaysian travellers favoured mainly Asian destinations – in particular, South-East Asia – where the currency exchange rates were less painful.

    According to the recently released Hotel Price Index by accommodation booking website Hotels.com, Malaysian travellers seemed to prefer Asian destinations for their attractive hotel prices.

     There was an overall 3% decrease in the price of Malaysian hotel rooms, which made Malaysia, with its melting pot of cultures and diverse gastronomic offerings across its cities, a more appealing destination for both local and foreign travellers.

     Sarawak was the most-visited city by Malaysians, while Sabah was the most popular choice for travellers globally.

    The most popular overseas destination for Malaysians was Thailand, with Bangkok topping the list. Other popular Thai cities, which revealed the love that Malaysian travellers have for island and beach getaways, included Krabi, Phuket, Hat Yai, and Chiang Mai.

     The second most popular destination was Indonesia, with Jakarta at the top of the list, for both business and holiday travellers.

     Destinations outside South-East Asia were less popular, but Japan increased a rank to grab the third spot. This was due to Visit Japan campaigns and ongoing promotions of its attractions, combined with attractive hotel prices and airfares.

     In the fourth and fifth spots were the United States and Australia.

   Such was the trend despite the hike in hotel prices in Thailand (8%), Indonesia (10%), Japan (30%), the United States (14%) and Australia (10%), comparing rates in the first half of this year with those of the same period last year.

    Hotels.com regional marketing director (for Greater China, South-East Asia and India) Jessica Chuang explained that despite the fluctuation in hotel prices across Asia, many new hotels were able to offer quality rooms. “The growth in new hotels and the current price levels offer value for money to travellers. There are more getaway options across the region now,” she said.

    In the case of Sabah and Sarawak’s popularity, she explained that the hotel prices in both these destinations were quite stable and there was even a 1% reduction. “The appeal of an untouched, remote environment, coupled with unique cultures, helped keep the two states popular and the demand high among tourists,” she added.