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Malaysians spent RM1.3b to holiday in Hatyai
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1, 2024: Malaysians reportedly spent a whopping RM1.3 billion to spend Christmas and New Year holidays in Hatyai.
Tourism Malaysia’s failure to promote and prevent profiteering by locals have annoyed domestic tourists who have turned to Hatyai.
View the above image of a receipt … RM5 for ais kosong (ice water) in Langkawi’s Pantai Cenang!
So, is it any wonder why local and foreign tourists are turning to other Southeast-Asia states for their holidays?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below related tourism news reports:
MALAYSIA
Malaysians flock to Hatyai, bringing 10 bil baht to local economy
During Christmas, year-end holiday season, Malaysian visitors doubled to 20,000 daily.
Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 01 Jan 2024 6:12PM
Hatyai Songkhla Hotel Association president Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha says Hatyai’s irresistible appeal lies with its combination of delectable and diverse food choices, easy accessibility, and affordable hotel options, which drew Malaysians in droves. – Pixabay pic, January 1, 2024
VISITORS from Malaysia to Hatyai, the vibrant southern Thai city, doubled to 20,000 daily during the Christmas and year-end holiday season, contributing 10 billion baht (RM1.3 billion) to the local economy during the week.
Hatyai Songkhla Hotel Association president Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha said Hatyai’s irresistible appeal lies with its combination of delectable and diverse food choices, easy accessibility, and affordable hotel options, which drew Malaysians in droves.
He said Hatyai has firmly established itself as a favoured destination for travel enthusiasts seeking a delightful and budget-friendly getaway.
On ordinary weekdays throughout the year, he said Hatyai typically enjoys a steady flow of around 5,000 Malaysian visitors daily, doubling to nearly 10,000 on weekends.
“Hatyai experiences a joyous surge in visitor numbers from Malaysia during the year-end holiday season. On peak season weekends (Christmas and New Year), Hatyai welcomed an average of 20,000 Malaysians daily, while weekdays see around 10,000 visitors.
“During the festive cheer of Christmas and New Year, Malaysian tourists’ average spending per trip per person reaches 10,000 baht.
“Aa a result, Malaysian tourists are estimated to have contributed approximately 10 billion baht to the Hat Yai economy this Christmas and New Year celebration,” he told Bernama.
Sitthipong also noted Hatyai hotels have witnessed unprecedented surge in demand, with downtown, a popular area for Malaysian tourists, fully booked during peak holiday weeks.
He added that Hatyai currently boasts around 20,000 rooms, including 8,000 to 12,000 concentrated at downtown.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry said Thailand welcomed 27.25 million tourists where Malaysian tourists top the list with 4.43 million followed by Chinese (3.41 million) and South Korea (1.6 million), India (1.58 million) and Russian (1.42 million), as of December 24. – Bernama, January 1, 2024
UPDATE:
Malaysian tourists top list of visitors to Thailand in 2023
The top five nationalities visiting the nation are Malaysians, Chinese, South Koreans, Indians, and Russians.
Bernama -
Thailand hosted a total of 28 million international visitors in 2023. (Bernama pic)
BANGKOK: Malaysians led the list of international visitors to Thailand in 2023, with 4.56 million visitors.
Thai tourism and sports minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said the nation hosted a total of 28 million international visitors last year.
This influx significantly boosted tourism revenue, amounting to 1.2 trillion baht (RM161.52 billion).
The top five nationalities visiting Thailand consisted of Malaysians (4.56 million), Chinese (3.51 million), South Koreans (1.65 million), Indians (1.62 million), and Russians (1.48 million).
“An average of 112,807 tourists entered the kingdom each day, with the top five foreign tourists being Malaysians (123,540), followed by Chinese (101,003), Russians (52,893), South Koreans (41,830), and Indians (39,630),” said Sudawan.
Last year’s total foreign arrivals constituted an increase of 151% from 2022.
Thailand expects to receive 35 million visitors in 2024, short of the record 39.8 million arrivals and 1.91 trillion baht in revenue it generated in 2019.
Monday 4 December 2023
‘Ghost town’ Langkawi, others to follow?
No News Is Bad News
‘Ghost town’ Langkawi, others to follow?
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4, 2023: Malaysians better not follow their emotions on both domestic and international issues and react irrationally and emotionally.
Look at Kedah’s Langkawi Island, once the pride of tourism. Today, it is a ghost tow.
If Malaysians elsewhere also follow suit, the country’s socio-economy is as good as doomed.
Tourists are staying away from the island because the PAS-ruled state government continuously imposes racial and religious regulations that annoy everyone.
This is not halal, that is not halal, no drinking alcohol, etc … so tourists are turning to elsewhere in South-east Asia and Asia.
Boycott this and that is a stupid reaction as two can play the same game.
Padan muka (serves you right) to the majority of Kedahans who support religious extremism and the Taliban-like PAS.
See the above image/visual found on Facebook some weeks back. Even Malaysia’s Johor Sultan who will be installed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) next month, has advised Muslims not to clarify halal in everything .
No News Is Bad News reproduces a Finance Twitter report posted by suspected CIA-backed political website Malaysia Chronicle:
UPDATE:
Not true KL liquor sale ban lifted, says DBKL
The sale of liquor at grocery and convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine shops is still subject to the guidelines that have been set, says City Hall.
FMT Reporters - 04 Dec 2023, 8:38pm
Under the ban which took effect in November 2021, the sale of hard liquor or distilled spirits is barred at grocery and convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine shops in Kuala Lumpur.
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has denied that the ban on liquor sales at grocery and convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine shops in the city has been lifted.
DBKL said a Nov 23 statement that its excise licensing board had revoked the ban is not true.
“The sale of liquor at grocery and convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine shops is still subject to the guidelines that have been set.
“The board, which convened on Nov 23, had only approved 1,519 applications for the renewal of various wholesale, public housing and retail licences. No new retail licences were approved,” it said in a statement today.
FMT is reaching out to the DBKL excise licensing board for comment.
Under the ban, which took effect in November 2021, the sale of hard liquor or distilled spirits was barred at these premises. However, customers were still allowed to buy beer from them from 7am to 9pm.
The ban was reportedly lifted last week following the appointment of new committee members to the board. It also reportedly approved 1,519 applications for liquor licences.
In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, the board’s vice-chairman, Pooi Weng Keong, said the new committee did not view the sale of alcohol at these stores as an issue.
He also said the committee would meet again on Dec 20 to review new applications for liquor licences.
Federal territories PAS Youth information chief Abdul Razak Ramli had voiced objections against the reported lifting of the ban, saying it was “regrettable and disappointing” as it would lead to more social problems.
But DAP’s Kasthuri Patto, a member of the excise licensing board, urged Razak to focus on more important issues and to learn to respect differences of cultures and beliefs.
MALAYSIAN 'GHOST TOWN' LANGKAWI, A LESSON IN HOW TO FAIL FROM PAS & ITS KEDAH MB SANUSI – TO SAVE ITSELF FROM A SIMILAR FATE, KL FINALLY SCRAPS LIQUOR BAN TO BOOST TOURISM & ECONOMY - AND STAVE OFF A 'SELF-INFLICTED DESTRUCTION'
Written by Finance Twitter
KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Langkawi used to be a popular tourist destination not only to foreign tourists, but also among locals. The island, famed for its Mahsuri legend, was being developed and promoted as a premier island resort equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities since 1984. Later, on January 1, 1987, Mahathir administration designated it as a duty-free port to boost its socio-economic development.
While the charm of the island lies with its natural beauty, the duty-free shopping provided an added attraction to domestic, Asian as well as Western visitors. Langkawi Island, which is a cluster of 99 islands situated in the northern state of Kedah, also got its boost after the Malaysian government actively promoted it as one of South-East Asia’s premier meeting and exhibition destinations.
For example, Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), which was first held in 1991, attracted government officials, trade delegations and visitors from all parts of the world. In 2012 alone, the island welcomed a total of 3.06 million international and local tourists. Like many holiday destinations, Langkawi relies heavily on both first-time and repeat visitors.
However, the island has been losing its shine among Malaysians, let alone foreigners. The confirmation that it is turning into a “ghost town“ came from Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) Chief Executive Officer Zainudin Kadir, who revealed last month (November) that bookings at hotels rated three stars and below had plunged to 10% despite the coming Deepavali celebrations.
Zainudin said 31 out of the 163 food operators registered under LTA had to shut down while some car rental owners sold off their vehicles to avoid bankruptcy. He blamed it on the lack of ferry services and complaints on social media about expensive food. In denial, however, Kuah lawmaker from Bersatu, Amar Pared Mahamud, disagreed about the decline of tourist arrivals in Langkawi.
Mr Amar bragged that ferries were almost fully booked – hadn’t a clue that the number of trips between the island and the mainland had been slashed. The statistics from the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) showed a month-on-month drop of almost 20% since September compared with last year. But the problem isn’t only about transportation or high food prices. It’s about “Islamic radicalization”.
Bikini bans and rising Islamic radicalization
In September, Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing told the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House) how non-Muslim travellers to Langkawi were stopped from buying alcohol and wearing shorts in public. A general manager of a four-star resort said – “The first thing foreign guests would ask us upon checking in now is whether they can wear bikinis or short pants at the beaches.”
However, Langkawi MP Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah, who defeated Mahathir in the Nov 2022 General Election, said the government should implement a full duty free status to rejuvenate the island’s tourism industry – admitting that cheap alcohol is a factor in attracting tourists and his own Perikatan Nasional government, comprising Bersatu and PAS, had screwed up the duty-free port.
So, Langkawi has tonnes of problems plaguing its tourism industry, which contributes 90% of the island’s economy – poor ferry service, pricey food, negative publicity, dubious status of a duty-free zone, expensive hotel, alcohol clampdown and whatnot. It didn’t help that the cost of flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi would cost an arm and a leg. Who in their right mind would travel to this place?
Langkawi Tourism - Duty Free Zone - Liquor and Spirit
Thanks to the Malay voters in Langkawi, and PAS-rule Kedah state government for that matter, tourists are avoiding the island like a plague due to harassment by enforcement officers over the dress code. Like it or not, the people of the island deserve the impact of the tourism meltdown as a result of voters choosing religious extremism over bread and butter.
The notorious Kedah Chief Minister Muhammad Sanusi in November 2021 announced that the state will ban licence for gaming and lottery ticket outlets, besides limiting the sales of alcohol in Muslim-majority areas in Kedah. The Islamist policy of the PAS state government has spooked potential tourists – both domestic and foreign – from considering Langkawi as a tourist destination.
For non-Muslims, consuming alcohol is allowed at bars and clubs in Dubai. In fact, the Arab Emirate is radically cutting alcohol taxes and also ending fees for drinking licenses in order to make it more attractive to expatriates and tourists. In fact, the UAE had decriminalised drinking alcohol in 2020 at a federal level, while Dubai has launched legal alcohol delivery and Abu Dhabi ditched its alcohol licensing system.
Dubai Tourism - Bikini at Beach
Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable to wear swimming trunks or bikinis at the beach or by the hotel pool in Dubai. So, who is PAS to prohibit non-Muslim travellers to Langkawi from buying alcohol and wearing shorts as if the island is being ruled by the Taliban regime of Afghanistan? Tourists can always go to Bali, Hat Yai or nearby Phuket paradise, where everything is cheaper and tourists are not restricted by silly radicalized rules.
Under previous Muhyiddin’s regime, the liquor sale was banned in convenience stores, sundry and grocery shops along with Chinese medicine shops. The former backdoor prime minister did not even care to consult non-Muslim minorities. Subsequently, even a “non-halal” section of Jaya Grocer outlet in Eco Grandeur, Puncak Alam, was forced to close for selling alcohol in the store.
In 2021, in the first step to deny – and destroy completely – non-Muslims’ rights, the DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) had issued an order that pubs, bars, lounges, and restaurants with licences to sell alcohol will only be allowed to serve liquor between 10am and midnight. Strangely, beer can be sold from 7am to 9pm, raising questions over the logic behind the alcoholic beverage ban.
Alcohol and Liquor - Beer Sales in Malaysia
The best part was that premises that sell liquor must not be within 100-metre of police stations, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and residential houses. In a country where police stations can be converted into a disco with free flow of drugs, booze and prostitutes, it was laughable for the authorities to impose restrictions on non-Muslims, and pretended to be a pious government.
Finally, this week – a year after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took over the government – the previous ban on liquor sale imposed by the Muhyiddin regime has been scrapped. Excise Licensing Board of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (ELBKL) chairman Dr Ronald Pua announced that Chinese medical halls and sundry shops in the country’s capital can continue to sell hard liquor.
While capital Kuala Lumpur is unlikely to become a ghost town like Langkawi due to a ban on alcohol, the excessive Islamic restrictions imposed on non-Muslims have made the country unattractive to not only tourists, but also the economic sector. Investors, particularly the Westerners, would consider the “liveability” of a country before pumping millions or billions of dollars.
Serving Alcohol at Pub Bar - Entertainment
That’s why even Saudi Arabia, the most conservative Muslim country in the world, is slowly liberalising the country to attract foreign investments. Unable to attract investors, largely due to the kingdom’s repressive Islamic law, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had to create NEOM economic zone – a US$500 billion Desert Dream – which enjoys some special regulations related to investment.
NEOM, a massive eco-city 33 times bigger than New York, will be the key pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify Saudi’s economy away from oil and gas. Aimed to attract 5 million international tourists annually, it will have its own tax system and operate according to “progressive laws that are compatible with international norms and conducive to economic growth.”
If even oil-rich Saudi Arabia has woken up to the reality and is reforming its conservative Islamic curriculum, it’s a suicide mission for a multi-racial and multi-cultural country like Malaysia to regressively Islamise everything, including tourism. It’s not a coincidence that the lifting of alcohol sale came after PM Anwar announced 30 days visa-free travel to visitors from China and India effective December 1.
Malaysia Tourism - Restaurant and Bar
Tourism is the low-hanging fruit which Anwar-led Unity Government should have picked from the beginning. Exactly what took the government so long is beyond comprehension. The fact that Langkawi is still struggling to hit 3 million visitors today, the same number first recorded in 2012, shows that the island’s tourism has not improved – even deteriorating – ever since.
Revenues from tourism in Malaysia hit a whopping RM28.23 billion in 2022 – clearly an essential source of foreign exchange earnings – even though it was a huge drop from an all time high of RM86.14 billion in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. The country is targeting an influx of 16.1 million foreign tourists with RM49.2 billion in tourism revenue this year.
Whether they are Chinese or Western investors, alcohol and entertainment are part and parcel of business meetings where deals are made and networking is established. Malaysia is not the only country in the region. Businessmen will gladly bring their dollars to Singapore, Thailand or even Vietnam. The ghost town of Langkawi, which ex-PM Najib Razak once dreamt of becoming “Monaco of the East”, is a fantastic lesson for the religious extremists. Written by FINANCE TWITTER
Politics Now!
Wednesday 4 October 2023
Tourism: Penang, Malaysia sleeping on their job
No News Is Bad News
Penang's capital George Town is one of Malaysia's most popular tourist attractions [Courtesy of Kit Yeng Chan]
Tourism: Penang, Malaysia sleeping on their job
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5, 2023: Are Malaysia’s Tourism Ministry and Penang sleeping on the job or are there other reasons why it did not capitalise on attracting Chinese tourists.
China’s national news agency Xinhua reported that China’s outbound tourism surged by 20 times for the Golden Week but Malaysia, particularly Penang, failed to capitalise on the resurgent Chinese tourists.
Why have Chinese tourists switched to other destinations after the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic?
Lack of aggressive promotions as reported by Xinhua? Or “Balik Tongshan” (Go Back To China) policy and racial and religious bigots affecting Chinese tourists’ decision-making?
Even Aljazeera is reporting the same about Malaysia’s flagging tourism industry. Is the Penang DAP-led government helmed by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and his state executive councillors going to quash or dimiss the two news reports, as they usually do?
Whatever, Malaysia is slowly, but surely, losing ground to attract tourists globally.
Who do we blame?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below the Xinhua and Aljazeera news reports:
China Outbound Tourism Surges By 20 Times For Golden Week, Yet Malaysia Didn’t Capitalise
By Editor
October 1, 2023
Prominent travel platforms reporting full bookings, bustling queues in international departure halls at airports, and Chinese tourists flocking to popular global destinations… China’s outbound tourism market is certainly brimming with exhilaration, this was a statement published by its national news agency Xinhua.
Wang Shihua from Taiyuan, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province, has joined the wave of tourists during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, lasting from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6.
After spending the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival usually marked by reunions which fell on Friday this year, at home, he flew to Thailand together with his family. During their six-day trip, Wang plans to visit popular attractions including the Grand Palace, as well as savor Thai massage and local cuisine.
“I visited Thailand several years ago, and the experience left me with great memories. Now that my city has opened direct flights to Thailand, I have got to visit it again,” Wang said.
China’s outbound tourism during the National Day “golden week” holiday has shown a “blowout” growth. According to data from China’s leading travel platforms, including Trip.com Group and Fliggy, orders for overseas trips during the eight-day holiday surged nearly 20 times compared with the same period last year.
As one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, Thailand announced a five-month visa-free policy for Chinese tourists in September. Since then, the number of travel inquiries and bookings for the Southeast Asian nation has continued to grow, ranking among the top destinations for outbound travel during the ongoing holiday.
Li Gaochao, assistant general manager of a major international travel agency in Shanxi, said that the visa-free policy saves around 500 yuan (about 69.64 U.S. dollars) in travel costs. After Chinese travel agencies and online tourism service providers resumed offering group tours to an expanded range of countries and regions in August, travel routes to Central and East Africa, as well as Europe, have gained popularity. Additionally, tour packages for Middle Eastern destinations like Dubai were fully booked early September.
Not to mention representatives from numerous countries flocking to China to attract customers, capitalising on the swift resurgence of the country’s outbound tourism market. Recently, the national tourist boards of countries such as Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and the European Travel Commission joined hands with China’s online travel agency Mafengwo to attract tourists to Northern Europe.
In mid-September, the Korea Tourism Organization signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with Trip.com Group. It is expected that during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, the number of outbound tourists to the Republic of Korea will usher in the annual peak.
Industry insiders believe that with the change in consumption preferences, Chinese tourists are more inclined to in-depth experiences and high-quality services, so flexible private group tours have become more popular during this holiday season.
Zhao Wenzhi, president of GZL International Travel Service Ltd., located in south China’s Guangdong Province, said that tourists’ demand for high-end outbound tourism is increasing, and some quality small-group routes with scarce tourism elements are expected to become dark horses over the “golden week.”
Zhao’s viewpoint is backed by data from travel platforms, revealing a substantial increase in the number of group tour bookings to countries such as Uzbekistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Sri Lanka, and Kenya during this period compared to 2019.
Experts pointed out that as the world’s largest source of outbound tourists, China’s resumption of outbound group tours will play a positive role in promoting the recovery of the global tourism industry.
According to the 2023 Global Consumer Insights Survey China Report released by global auditing and consultancy firm PwC, to a much greater extent than their global counterparts, 62 percent of Chinese consumers expected they would increase spending on travel. More than 50 percent of them anticipated they were likely or extremely likely to travel on an international flight in the next six months. It will bring significant opportunities for the global tourism, hospitality, and retail sectors.
Malaysia which was among the earliest to open its borders to tourists failed to capitalise on the last to open its border, China which was the biggest visitor to the country before the pandemic. Being complacent and not having special promotions or aggressive campaigns are among the reasons popular destinations like Penang, Genting, and Kuala Lumpur are seeing a lack of resurgence of Chinese tourists. An English daily reported on 1 October headlined “Where are the Chinese Tourists in Penang For Golden Week?”
The local tourism sector is still reeling from the pandemic-induced shutdown with Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia all vying for a piece of the China action with mega deals and representatives working with Chinese travel agencies, Malaysia needs to step up its game to support our travel industry.
Malaysia’s tourism recovery flops as Thailand, Indonesia cash in
Malaysia is struggling to bring back tourists compared with its Southeast Asian peers after scrapping pandemic curbs.
Penang's capital George Town is one of Malaysia's most popular tourist attractions [Courtesy of Kit Yeng Chan]
Published On 16 Jan 202316 Jan 2023
Correction16 Jan 2023
A previous version of this article misstated that Mount Kinabalu is Southeast Asia's highest peak.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – For Arthur Wilkinson, a Penang-born entrepreneur who opened Malaysia’s first flotation therapy centre on his tropical island home, nearly two years without tourists marked the end of the road.
Float For Health, located in Tanjung Tokong, a coastal township on the northeastern side of Penang island, shut up shop for good in January 2021 as border restrictions introduced to keep out COVID-19 reduced customers to a trickle.
“Eighty percent of my customers were tourists, and at that time, anyone working in this industry suffered for obvious reasons,” Wilkinson, who also runs the restaurant Heap Seng at 29 in George Town, told Al Jazeera.
Malaysia reopened its borders to tourists in April, before dropping all vaccination and PCR-test requirements in August.
But nearly a year since hailing the return of international visitors, Malaysia’s tourism sector is not only struggling but playing catchup to its Southeast Asian peers.
Malaysia welcomed about 3 million visitors in 2022, up from 134,728 visitors the previous year, according to Tourism Malaysia. The intake was just about 12 percent of the number that arrived in 2019.
Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia — which welcomed 10 million, 4.6 million and 4.58 million visitors, respectively — saw arrivals return to about one-quarter of pre-pandemic levels.
Vietnam’s 3.6 million foreign visitors, although short of the government’s target, was about one-fifth of its intake in 2019.
Traditional Malaysian homes are popular with tourists in Langkawi [Courtesy of Kit Yeng Chan)
Tourist industry figures have offered a range of explanations for Malaysia’s weak rebound from the pandemic compared with its neighbours, from poor cost competitiveness to the country’s reputation as a buttoned-up, predominantly Islamic society. Tourism Malaysia declined to comment.
Earlier this month, the Malaysian Islamic Party-backed state government in Kedah, home to the popular duty-free resort island Langkawi, caused jitters in the tourism sector when it floated a possible ban on alcohol sales.
Kedah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md later clarified that the sale of alcohol in Langkawi is under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry, not the state government, and the state government had no authority to interfere with the tourist island’s duty-free status.
Malaysia already has some of the world’s highest alcohol taxes and imposes harsh punishments for drug offences, including the death penalty for trafficking.
Neighbouring Thailand, meanwhile, has built on its reputation for having a tolerant attitude towards vices, decriminalising cannabis in June 2022.
“From mid-December to mid-March, I used to have 80-90 percent of clients from Europe, and now I only have about 60 percent,” Anthony Wong, owner of Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, one of the island’s oldest eco-resorts, told Al Jazeera.
“Flights to Malaysia from Europe are less [frequent] and more expensive, and Langkawi is not as cheap as its neighbours, especially the accommodation. … Europe is also going into recession, with inflation going up, and issues related to the ongoing war in Ukraine make it more challenging for them to spend money on travelling,” Wong said.
Wilkinson, who relocated his flotation therapy business to Indonesia’s Bali to take advantage of the higher tourist numbers and what he said was more dependable labour, said Malaysia could not afford to be complacent about its attractiveness to foreign visitors.
“We need to stimulate tourism somehow before it’s too late, as Malaysia is losing massively to Thailand and Indonesia,” he said.
“Even though Malaysia has a much wider variety of cuisines, our food and beverage scene and quality isn’t quite up to par compared to our neighbours, which also have lower alcohol tax and are more open to new ideas of tourism.”
Penang entrepreneur Arthur Wilkinson believes Malaysia needs to do more to attract tourists back to its shores [Courtesy of Arthur Wilkinson]
Fabio Delisi, manager of Kuala Lumpur-based inbound tour operator Lotus Asia Tours, said he believes Malaysia’s potential has been held back by lacklustre promotion and relatively poor connectivity compared with other parts of the region.
“Malaysia does not lack attractions, especially natural ones. Tourism development suffers from inconsistent policies and promotional activities over the past decades,” Delisi, who has more than 30 years of experience in tourism across the region, told Al Jazeera. “Tourism is a very long-term public relation exercise.”
Delisi, whose company also operates in Indonesia and Singapore, said Malaysia’s fortunes have stood in stark contrast to those of Indonesia.
“We are wholesalers operating in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore since the early nineties, and in 2022 have experienced a decline of arrivals of up to 90 percent from our main Western markets into Malaysia, while we have seen double-digit growth in Indonesia for the same period,” he said.
In East Malaysia, which is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea, there are signs that tourism is rebounding much faster.
Operators there have benefitted from a niche market of high-spending Westerners seeking out tropical adventures in Malaysia’s eastern states on the island of Borneo, which is renowned for its wildlife and unspoiled nature.
“We hit the same revenue as 2019 last year despite it being an eight-month operation,” Jessica Yew, director of boutique tour company Sticky Rice Travel, which has its headquarters in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah state, told Al Jazeera.
“It’s mostly because of our market segment. [We cater to the] high-end/deluxe US market — the pandemic had little to no effect on their finances, and they were just waiting for the border to reopen. Europeans and British inquiries trickle in, but closing the sale for these is harder.”
For those with less to spend, travel and accommodation costs in Borneo, which are at their highest in years, could be off-putting.
“Most lodges and transport providers introduced a hike of up to 20 percent, while government agencies such as Sabah Parks doubled the price of some permits and entrances,” Yew said.
Sabah-based tour operator Jessica Yew says her business has emerged from the pandemic in a strong position due to the high-spending US market [Courtesy of Jessica Yew]
The higher prices include permits to climb Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest peak standing at 4,095 metres (13,435 feet), which this month doubled from 200 ringgit to 400 ringgit ($46 to $92).
When added to the costs of guides, food, and accommodation, the cheapest packages to tackle the summit come to about $550 per person.
While Sabah is generally cheap outside conservation areas, only some of the state’s protected parks are promoted by authorities as the main selling points for visitors.
“I tell people to go to Sumatra [in Indonesia] to see orangutans, as it costs one-third to one-fifth of Malaysian Borneo’s prices,” Yew said.
For many other operators, the return of Chinese and South Korean visitors, the biggest cohort of visitors to Sabah before the pandemic, will be crucial to their fortunes in the coming year.
Businesses, in particular, are keeping a close watch on China’s reopening of its borders last week after three years of international isolation.
Still, some within the sector are sceptical of any quick fix to the sector’s struggles.
“We are paying the price for more than twenty years of random policies without focus and continuity,” said Delisi of Lotus Asia Tours.
“Despite the effort of a number of good technocrats, without a framed, coordinated and consistent strategy, I don’t see how things may change or improve soon.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
Tuesday 26 September 2023
USA Today: Penang Hill is Asia’s worst tourist trap, second most overrated destination
No News Is Bad News
USA Today: Penang Hill is Asia’s worst tourist trap, second most overrated destination
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26, 2023: USA Today has named Penang Hill as Asia’s worst tourist trap
(a place that attracts many tourists and where goods and services are more expensive than normal).
And it also rated Penang Hill as the second most overrated tourist destination.
Do Malaysians, especially Penangites, agree with USA Today?
Whatever, it will do well for the DAP-led Penang unity government to treat the rating seriously and take remedial measures if necessary.
Will Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow really understand what needs to be corrected or improved?
Or will he and his state executive councillors continue to rest on their laurels and ignore the matter raised by USA Today?
One thing is certain. Penang Hill needs more services to satisfy the expectations of tourists who allocate much of their precious time to go up the hill.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below what was reported on Penang Hill:
UPDATE
No News Is Bad News: As expected, Penang government slams USA Today, instead of taking the criticisms positively and act accordingly wherever reuired. The DAP-led government is looking to be no different from the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.
Exco man dismisses Penang Hill’s ‘tourist trap’ label by US daily
Wong Hon Wai says USA Today’s finding doesn’t take into account reviews made in languages other than English.
FMT Reporters - 26 Sep 2023, 5:26pm
Penang tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the nearly 50 million visitors to Penang Hill over the past 100 years was proof of its popularity. (Bernama pic)
GEORGE TOWN: A state executive councillor has dismissed an American newspaper’s label of Penang Hill as a “tourist trap”, saying it is a conclusion reached after poor research.
State tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the research by USA Today, which was based on testimonies left on Google, was flawed as it only considered English reviews.
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Last month, the newspaper published its “Top 100 biggest tourist traps worldwide”, in which Penang Hill was ranked ninth.
USA Today said it reached the conclusion after searching for the phrases “tourist trap,” “overrated” or “expensive” in reviews left on Google in July, after which it divided the number of mentions by the total number of reviews.
“The bad reviews are about two dozen, and it (USA Today) didn’t take into consideration the many other good reviews about Penang Hill – which outnumbers the bad ones,” Wong said in a statement.
Wong said there have been nearly 50 million visitors to Penang Hill ever since the funicular railway began in 1923, with many repeat visitors.
“This shows that they are attracted to the hill station’s charm. The number of visitors speaks for itself,” he said.
The colonial-era hill station has a history going back to 1738.
It was initially cleared for the British colonial community to enjoy the cooler air of the hill.
Previous reports stated that a RM285 million Penang Hill cable car project was expected to be ready by 2025.
Penang Hill is the country’s third national biosphere reserve after Tasik Chini in Pahang and the Crocker Range in Sabah under Unesco’s Man and Biosphere programme.
USA Today Names Penang Hill Asia’s Worst Tourist Trap & Second Most Overrated Destination
Published
4 hours ago
September 26, 2023
By Jamie
Internationally distributed American daily newspaper USA Today recently released an article listing the top 100 biggest tourist traps worldwide, aiming to arm tourists with the information they “need before planning to visit a popular tourist destination”.
In the article, the publication also listed the top 100 most overpriced attractions and the top 100 most overrated attractions worldwide based on their analysis of 23.2 million Google reviews.
Usa today’s top 100 worst tourist traps globally
Given our country’s popularity among global travellers, it was no surprise that a tourist spot in Malaysia made it to the list, but the place itself may come as a surprise to many: Penang Hill.
In fact, not only did Penang Hill was included in the list, but USA Today also placed it as the worst tourist trap in Asia and 9th in the world.
Usa today’s top 100 overrated tourist attractions globally
Furthermore, the publication also put the Penang tourist attraction as the 2nd most overrated tourist attraction in Asia and 14th globally, as well as the 64th most overpriced in the world.
So, how did USA Today compiled the list and ended up having Penang Hill as the worst tourist trap in Asia? Well, the publication said that it analysed 23.2 million Google reviews of 500 popular tourist attractions in the world, spanning 65 countries in 6 continents in July 2023.
Usa today’s top 100 overpriced tourist attractions globally
The publication then analysed mentions of certain keywords that indicate a common negative sentiment among visitors, such as “tourist trap”, “expensive” and “overrated”, hence the 3 main categories in the article.
Besides that, USA Today also clarified that the list started with 1,600 tourist attractions and then narrowed down to 500 spots, which would explain why Penang Hill was the only Malaysian tourist attraction in all 3 categories.
Source: Trip.com
With that in mind, while the methodology was quite data-based, the list itself seems to be rather subjective and has many flaws. For example, only Google reviews written in English were analysed and also included the use of the keywords in a positive context (for example, “It’s kind of a tourist trap but we loved it”) in creating the list. For the latter, USA Today said that these instances of usage were not frequent enough to be statistically significant.
Besides that, it is also worth mentioning that Penang Hill was named Asia’s worst tourist trap based on just 21 mentions of the keyword “tourist trap” in a mere 3,737 Google reviews (0.56% frequency). The 21 mentions when viewed across all the 100 tourist destinations mentioned are among the fewest in the list.
Source: Viator
So, what do you guys think of these findings by USA Today? Do you agree with Penang Hill’s placement? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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