Malaysia’s tourism industry showing signs of recovery – Shopee

by BERNAMA / pic by TMR FILE

KUALA LUMPUR – E-commerce platform Shopee sees signs of recovery in Malaysia’s tourism industry following encouraging reception for the Tourism Malaysia campaign on the platform.

It said 22,000 “Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia! Experience Malaysia Like Never Before” deals were snapped since the announcement on March 2 to lift inter-district travel ban and when the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0 for Selangor, Johor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur was downgraded to Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

“This is encouraging compared to the cumulative 500 transactions made between Jan 11 (when MCO 2.0 was announced) and March 1,” it said in a statement today.

Shopee first teamed up with Tourism Malaysia on the campaign in December, and the campaign was recently relaunched following a two-month hiatus.

It said the pent-up travel demand spurred staycation activities by residents in the Klang Valley, Penang, Sabah and Johor, which contributed an average of 75 per cent of the overall demand for the deals within the respective states.

Furthermore, it said, there was also optimism by Malaysians about the eventual reopening of state borders, especially from Sarawak, Terengganu and Melaka which chose the “Buy Now, Travel Later” deals.

Shopee said popular destinations included Aquaria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur; Sunway Lagoon and Zoo Negara in Selangor; and Rainbow SkyWalk at The Top Penang and Wonderfood Museum in Penang.

Other popular destinations are Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, for fishing, snorkelling and banana boat; and Langkawi, Kedah, for hotels, tours and recreational activities.

“We will continue to play our part in connecting Malaysians with hoteliers and tour operators by using technology to contribute to the sustainability of the industry.

“The robust demand shows that Malaysians want and need a break after prolonged stay-at-home measures,” Shopee regional managing director Ian Ho said.

Meanwhile, it said following increasing visits to shopping malls, Shopee’s 4.4 Mega Shopping Day campaign would offer up to 50 per cent e-vouchers from participating tenants from Mid Valley Megamall KL and The Mall and Mid Valley Southkey Johor Bahru.

It said the campaign featured free shipping with a minimum spending of RM4, daily 95 per cent off deals, vouchers, game shows, Shopee Live performances by local singers as well as the launching of exclusive collaborations between fashion labels and celebrities.