PUTRAJAYA: Tourism Malaysia is making efforts to promote domestic travel, achieving 25% of the target of 220 million tourists in the first quarter of this year, says Tourism Malaysia director-general Manoharan Periasamy.
He said for this year, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry had set a target of 220 million domestic visitors with a total spending of RM88bil.
“To ensure we meet this target, we will intensify promotional activities to reach all segments of society.
“In the first quarter, we reached nearly 25% of our target. We are seeing a trend of locals visiting tourist attractions in Malaysia. We hope to achieve our target of 220 million,” he said after launching the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Madani Civil Servants 2024 exhibition at Alamanda Shopping Centre, Putrajaya.
“People are expressing interest in travelling overseas, so they often choose neighbouring countries like (Thailand’s) Haadyai. But given our current currency situation, it’s much more beneficial to take holidays within the country.
“Sometimes people say RM500 can buy many things in Thailand, but in terms of value, you can get much more in Malaysia,” he added.
According to Manoharan, Tourism Malaysia is taking steps aligned with the strategic direction of the domestic tourism sector to increase domestic tourism arrivals, promote inter-state travel, and encourage planned holidays.
He pointed out that Malaysians have many places to visit and enjoy a vacation. Domestic tourists like to explore new, previously unexplored places.
“For example, places like Gopeng and various glamping sites are popular destinations among young people, especially Generation Z and Generation Y. They enjoy more adventurous activities, like sleeping in glamping sites,” he added.
The Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Madani Civil Servants 2024 exhibition is one of Tourism Malaysia’s efforts to encourage domestic travel.
The event, first held in Putrajaya, offers a 30% discount on travel packages.
Manoharan said the exhibition’s special tourism packages are not only limited to civil servants but are also open to the general public and all visitors.
He added the exhibition would be held in other states as well.
“This is a good opportunity for locals because airlines are participating. If you want to island-hop within the country, visit Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak, this is a chance to enjoy the 30% discount offered by the airlines,” he added.
The exhibition runs from June 7 to June 9, 2024. This time, 25 industry players have been selected to join Tourism Malaysia in offering various discounted travel packages and theme park tickets, with discounts of up to 30%.
Among the packages offered are the KTMB Duo Package, holiday packages to islands like Redang, Kapas, Perhentian, Lang Tengah, Tioman, and Mabul, as well as glamping, homestay, and accommodations at hotels and resorts.
