GEORGE TOWN: Exotic destinations like Everest Base Camp in Tibet, Antarctica, Kenya, and other parts of Africa and South America are soaring in popularity thanks to the stronger ringgit currency.
Xpedition Travel Sdn Bhd managing director, Chanet Ham, who offers premium packages usually spanning over 10 days and costing over RM20,000 each, said these destinations are now more affordable, especially for those paying in US dollars.
"We craft experiences by offering private tours to less travelled destinations, which are becoming top choices for those looking to tick off unique experiences from their bucket lists. With a stronger ringgit, clients are finding better value in their destinations with safety being an important aspect," she said on Tuesday (Oct 1).
Ham said the rise in demand for such destinations was also due to more direct flights accessing these locations and people valuing such important moments of their lives after years of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She explained that while usually these niche destinations are beyond the budget of most people, many are willing to pay the premium price for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This includes an increase in demand for cruise travels across oceans compared to coach touring across the world, Ham added. With higher expectations from travellers and their willingness to splurge, domestic tourism has slowed down in recent times.
"Cuti-Cuti Malaysia is not as popular anymore compared to two years ago. Rather, Antarctica is getting popular," she said.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president, Nigel Wong, said while some travellers are still cautious of the economy, the strengthening of the ringgit is expected to change the trend in the coming year.
"Long-distance travel remains tempered by conflict events and the limited availability of air routes due to challenges in the aviation sector.
"During the recent MATTA Fair in Kuala Lumpur last month (Sept 6 to 8), overseas countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia remained top choices to visit. For ASEAN, countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia were the most popular," he said.
"For domestic tourism, Wong said it remains very strong with a sales turnover of nearly RM40mil over the fair's three-day period. "Both Sabah and Sarawak were highly popular, and so was Selangor as a domestic destination," he said.
Meanwhile, luggage bag seller Yap Joo Hin, 65, said as more families are travelling together, the demand for small size luggage bags for children is picking up.
"In the past, the smallest luggage bags were between 20 to 22 inches for adults to fit into the cabin. We now have a 16-inch size that is suitable for children. Many parents now want to include their children when travelling overseas and give them the experience of handling their own luggage," he said.
Yap, who produces his own brand of bags and provides repair services, said with bags now being more affordable, more people would rather buy than repair.
"Luggage bags used to be expensive, so customers would repair the wheels, zips, or handles before their trips. Now, with the price of new bags starting from RM69 here, most would rather buy a new bag," he said.
Yap said besides luggage bags, backpacks are also gaining popularity for tourists and backpackers travelling on their own. "Many tourists are seeking to explore and experience on their own through a lot of walking.
"For such travels, large backpacks are popular to carry on their back," he said.
According to the Global Travel Intentions Study 2023 by Visa, the top 10 destinations preferred by Malaysians are Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. Five other international destinations Malaysians are eyeing to visit are South Korea, China, the United Kingdom, Brunei, and Hong Kong.
