Malaysia has an appetite for travel other than Filipinos, Indians and Australians

by AZALEA AZUAR / Pic by TMR FILE PIX

ALMOST a quarter of Malaysians are keen on travelling compared to last month, according to a report from Finder.com.

The report said 34% of Malaysian adults plan to travel over the next three months compared to 30% in July.

Interest in both international (15%) and domestic (24%) travel over the months of September, October and November has also increased by 1% among Malaysian adults compared to last year.

Additionally, the report stated that more men prefer to travel (35%) compared to women (32%).

In comparison to other countries, Malaysia has an appetite for travel other than Filipinos, Indians and Australians.

Following the August survey, the number of Filipinos who want to travel have decreased from 43% last month to 35%.

The number of Indians who want to travel has slightly dropped from 38% in July to 34% in August.

Australians have the lowest number of people who want to travel where only 16% plan to travel in the coming three months, following 15% in July.

Finder.com editor-at-large Angus Kidman said the slight jump in travel plans is due to the government’s decision to loosen travel restrictions for those who have been fully vaccinated.

“For the first time since the April survey, we’re seeing an increase in the number of Malaysians who have short-term travel plans.

“In April, 44% of Malaysians had travel plans, but that dropped to 36% in May, 33% in June, 30% in July, before finally climbing up to 34% this August,” she said.

Kidman expects to observe a demand for both domestic and international travel increase since more people are taking the Covid-19 vaccines, and Malaysian Airlines are offering cheap flights and other perks.

Unfortunately, the situation can swiftly change anytime so she advises everyone to constantly check for any travel restrictions before booking any travel and be prepared for a change of plans.

“This is even more vital with international travel, where you’re dealing with travel requirements in both Malaysia and your destination country,” she said.

The Finder’s Travel Index is an ongoing survey which has gathered data from 170,000 respondents.