Sunday February 26, 2012

Travel boom spurred by doomsday hype

By CHRISTINA CHIN
sgchris@thestar.com.my

“DOOMSDAY tourism” is set to boom this year as curiosity about the Mayan prophecy draws people by the thousands (the Mexican Government is hoping for millions) to the ruins of ancient Maya cities.

To capitalise on this interest, the Mexican government last month launched a Maya World promotion plan to lure visitors both foreign and domestic to sites where Mayan civilisation flourished (present-day southeast Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras).

The Mayan calendar begins in 3114 BC, marking time in roughly 394-year periods known as Baktuns. The number 13 was sacred for the Mayans, who wrote that the 13th Baktun ends on Dec 21, 2012.

Doomsday tourists choose destinations based on the last-chance appeal, where such destinations won't be the same after a few more years or decades of global warming and they want to see them now before they're gone. The melting ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro, for instance, is a popular destination for doomsday tourists.

It may not be quite the thing in Malaysia yet, however, although local travel agents are seeing a spike in sales for holiday packages this year.

Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) deputy president John Tan confirms that more Malaysians will be travelling this year, saying that “those (aged) between 30 and 45 are more affluent and they are enjoying themselves more, travelling and indulging in classier activities like spa treatments.”

Travel and tourism education adviser P. C. Chin says Malaysians aged between 35 and 55 like to go to countries like Indo-China, Bali, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Europe, the United States and the Maldives while the older travellers with higher disposable incomes go on pilgrimages and exotic destinations like South America.

“Globe-trotting now is cheaper, easier and faster,” she says, and notwithstanding the Mayan end-of-the-world prediction, “it will be good to travel more before it's too late.”

Interest in cruising is also “picking up”, Pacific World Travel (PWT) sales and marketing executive Phyllis Low says.

“Enquiries have increased though we are not sure whether it's because of all this end of the world talk or if it's due to natural disasters occurring in recent months.

“Voyages to the Mediterranean, Alaska, Asia, Northern Europe, Iberia and Canary Islands are popular,” she shares.

PWT is an independent representative office for the Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line ships in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the Australian Tourism Forecasting Committee has predicted 264,000 arrivals from Malaysia in 2012, an increase from 2011's total arrivals of 241,200.

According to Tourism Australia (South/South-East Asia) regional general manager Maggie White, these leisure travellers are coming through main gateway cities such as Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Sydney.

“Travel is no longer a luxury expenditure but has become part of the Malaysian lifestyle,” she says.

“Australia has benefited from this attitude change. And while we cannot comment specifically on the world coming to an end, we certainly hope that Malaysians enjoy life more by holidaying in Australia.”

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) deputy vice-chancellor (Industry and Community Network) Prof Datuk Dr Susie See Ching Mey says not everyone believes nor cares that 2012 is “apocalyptic”.

“If a person knows that he is dying, travelling is unlikely his priority unless it is in his bucket list. People react differently when they know they are going to die.”

More News

News

Sunday February 26, 2012

Travel boom spurred by doomsday hype

By CHRISTINA CHIN sgchris@thestar.com.my

By CHRISTINA CHIN
sgchris@thestar.com.my