Ala Nur (standing, fifth from right) with friends during their visit to Da Nang, Vietnam in July 2022. But plans to fly to Europe, Australia and New Zealand for holidays have been put on hold until prices come down. — ZAZALI MUSA/The Star
MORE Malaysians are expected to spend their holidays locally as air fare to overseas destinations have doubled or tripled in recent months.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Johor chairman K. Subramaniam said of late, Kundasang in Sabah was a top choice for local holidaymakers.
“Feedback from our members shows that about 70% of holidaymakers who choose Sabah want Kundasang to be on their itinerary,’’ he said when contacted.
Subramaniam said the weather was the main attraction for tourists from outside Sabah to visit Kundasang, a hill station in the district of Ranau.
“Kundasang’s mountainous landscape which looks like New Zealand is also another strong selling point,’’ he added.
Top attractions there include the Desa Dairy Farm, Sosodikon Hill, Kundasang War Memorial, the Nablu Market and Kundasang Market.
Subramaniam said the average tour package to Kundasang plus flight tickets of 4D/3N and 5D/4N was below RM2,000 per person, including lodging and meals.
As for overseas holidays in 2023, Bali and Bandung (Indonesia), Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Songkhla (Thailand) remain popular with Malaysians, he said.
Malaysian Association Hotels (MAH) Johor Chapter chairman Ivan Teo said Johor Tourism needed to embark on a campaign to attract visitors from states up north to visit Johor.
“There are many unexplored places of interest in Johor that we need to actively start promoting and marketing,’’ he said.
“All along, we are depending on Singaporeans as things in Johor Baru are cheaper for them, but we also need to widen our market by attracting Malaysians from other states to visit Johor,” he added.
Housewife Ala Nur Jalila Taslim is planning to go to Yogyakarta, Indonesia at the end of January, which will be her first overseas holiday in 2023.
“We are looking for the best deals from any airlines flying from Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian city,’’ she told StarMetro.
On average, she said the price for a return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta was RM700, up from between RM400 and RM500 during pre-Covid-19 days.
“We have been to Yogyakarta before but the ticket (price) was not as high as now,” said Ala Nur.
She said she and her travelling companions hoped to visit other countries too this year.
Since Malaysia opened its international borders on May 1, 2022, the group has visited Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Hat Yai and Bangkok in Thailand.
“We will postpone our trips to Europe, Australia and New Zealand until the prices of flight tickets come down,” she said.
Ala Nur (standing, fifth from right) with friends during their visit to Da Nang, Vietnam in July 2022. But plans to fly to Europe, Australia and New Zealand for holidays have been put on hold until prices come down. — ZAZALI MUSA/The Star
Desa Dairy Farm at Kundasang, Sabah, is among the popular attractions in Ranau district. Kundasang’s mountainous landscape is a strong selling point for local tourists. — Filepic
