PETALING JAYA: Many Malaysians are hoping to take in the beautiful sunset in Langkawi Island, Kedah and enjoy mouthwatering food in Penang for a holiday this year.
These places were among the top local destinations that Malaysians were planning to visit this year in a survey by Tourism Malaysia.
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Penang was the number one state that local tourists wished to go to, followed by Sabah and the bustling Kuala Lumpur.
The charming city of Ipoh in Perak was also on top of the list when it comes to visiting towns and localities, followed by Kuching in Sarawak, said the study on Malaysian Outbound and Domestic Travel Behaviour.
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As for Malaysia’s islands, Langkawi emerged as the winner among the respondents, followed by Redang in Terengganu and Tioman in Pahang.
Below shows the top local destinations that Malaysians are planning to visit this year, based on category:
Top local destinations by Meikeng
The study, conducted from February to March, showed that most or 66.1% of respondents planned to go on domestic holidays this year.
“Many (90.9%) plan to take a holiday in the last quarter of 2024 (between October and December),” read the findings of the survey.
It said that on average, Malaysians will make 2.4 domestic holiday trips this year.
Last year, thanks to the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia (CCM) campaign to boost domestic tourism, some 55% of respondents were encouraged to go on local holidays.
“Most Malaysians enjoyed the natural attractions (40.6%), local cuisines (29.1%), accommodation quality and amenities (20.5%) and cultural and heritage sites (19.1%),” the report said.
Jet-setting off to another land
While many will be enjoying local vacations this year, a large number of Malaysians have also set their sights on breaking away to other countries.
The survey showed that 69% of respondents were planning to go for vacations abroad this year, with Southern Thailand being named as the number one destination.
The second most popular destination cited was Indonesia, followed by Vietnam, Japan and Singapore.
Last year, only 35.1% of respondents travelled outside Malaysia for a holiday.
Most Malaysians (30.2%) visited Thailand, while Indonesia and Singapore were the second and third most travelled destinations when it comes to holidaying abroad.
On what influences Malaysians to holiday in a certain country, the top factor was the destination’s appeal, followed by the cost or budget to visit the location.
Most Malaysians who travelled overseas went with their family members (32.5%), followed by their friends (31.9%) and spouse (16.9%).
Some 3.6% of respondents went on overseas trips alone, while the remainder went with business associates and other companions.
