It’s official. Malaysians are travel-starved! Consumer confidence in travel is increasing with a fast-growing number of traffic and booking reported by airlines, airports, and travel agencies.
A consumer survey by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) showed that more individuals are looking forward to flying, with more than half of them interested in domestic travel. According to Mavcom, the study found an increase in anticipation and expectation for air travel, with 60% of the 1,000 respondents looking forward to being able to travel interstate.
Thirst for travel
Domestic travel was preferred for a variety of reasons, including reduced travel costs, a higher chance of exposure to COVID-19 while travelling internationally, and respondents living with high-risk family members. This is also evidenced by the successful Langkawi travel bubble (we have a checklist right here if you plan on going too!).
The remaining 40% were interested in foreign travel, with nearly three-quarters planning to visit Asia, with Japan, China, and South Korea being the top three countries.
And this could very well come true soon.
Malaysians can also look forward to travelling abroad in a matter of months. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob mentioned that Malaysians will be allowed to travel abroad for leisure by December 2021, and possibly sooner, once the adult vaccination rate passes 90%.
Ismail Sabri also stated that once global travel is allowed to resume, travellers will no longer need to apply for MyTravelPass (MTP), but the quarantine procedures will stay the same.
As of 3 October, 87.6% of Malaysia’s adult population has been fully vaccinated, with 94.3% having received at least one dose.
On 22 September, Ismail Sabri announced the government’s decision to authorise interstate and tourism-related activities once 90% of Malaysian adults have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Considerations
As countries begin to open to the world, there’s still a lot to consider before deciding to travel to another part of the world, especially as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread. Then, there’s also the quarantine period for vaccinated individuals once you re-enter Malaysia (could it be the end of weekend trips to Bali and Bangkok?).
For those who decide to travel, health officials recommend diligently following COVID-19 precautions like wearing masks, social distancing, hand-washing, and avoiding crowds even when fully vaccinated.
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