Family Visits Make Up 44% Of Malaysians’ Domestic Travel

Malaysians choose family over shopping or holidays, domestic travel data shows

Visits to family and friends accounted for 44 per cent of domestic travel among Malaysians, according to the latest Statistics Department numbers on domestic tourism in the second quarter of this year.

That made family-related travel the leading purpose in the figures, ahead of shopping and holidaying.

Shopping accounted for 21.6 per cent of domestic travel, while holidaying represented 13 per cent.

The figures show that Malaysians were more likely to travel domestically to see loved ones than to shop or take a holiday.

The 44 per cent share was also higher than the trend recorded in the previous year.

In that earlier trend, the Statistics Department said that “visiting relatives and friends remained the primary purpose of domestic travel, accounting for 35.6 per cent”.

The latest result therefore continues the earlier pattern while showing a larger share for visits to relatives and friends.

Opportunities for hotels and local attractions

The dominance of family-related travel has created opportunities for accommodation providers, particularly because visitors prefer to stay near their relatives rather than in their homes.

The source also identifies hotels and local attractions as areas that could benefit from this travel pattern.

The preference for staying close to relatives gives accommodation providers a specific role in serving visitors whose main purpose is to meet family and friends.

Together, the latest figures and the previous-year comparison underline the importance of family visits in Malaysia’s domestic tourism activity.

Source: South China Morning Post