KUALA LUMPUR: Traveloka Malaysia is optimistic about the prospects of the tourism industry buoyed by the pent-up domestic and international travel demand.
Traveloka Malaysia country manager Angelica Chan said the optimism was based on the searches through its travel super app, in which people were looking into travelling and connecting with loved ones towards the end of this year and early next year.
She said Traveloka would be working closely with the government and industry players on mobilising initiatives for the recovery of the Malaysian tourism industry, which would in return benefit the consumers.
She also said Traveloka Malaysia is registered under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac), therefore, consumers would be able to claim tax relief of up to RM1,000 on local tourism.
“At this point, our focus is to continue to engage with our existing users and merchants, as well as to grow their base to provide a variety of products and services.
“We are also looking into forging better relationships with the government, Motac and relevant agencies while expanding our products and services,” she said.
Even with the current inflation pressures, Chan said Traveloka would ensure prices are made affordable for consumers to be able to continue travelling while contributing to the growth of the tourism industry.
Asked if the ringgit depreciation would dampen the prospect, she said the impact is still manageable as travel pattern changes according to the situation of the local note.
“People would tend to travel domestically or aim towards neighbouring countries that have less impact in terms of their spending power.
“Consumers can also make bookings to a country with options of choosing different flights for arrival and departure, based on the suitable time and affordable price,” she said.
Traveloka, which started seven years ago, has gradually evolved from merely providing hotels to flights, attractions, activities and services.
Sharing more on the survey carried out by Traveloka in April 2022, she pointed out that customers who booked through the travel super app tend to be millennials between 20 and 40 years old, while more than 50% of the decision-makers were women.
“We also saw that many travels are now family-based and 80% of them make bookings online, a major shift compared to the pre-pandemic period,” she said. - Bernama
