Local Economy & Tourism Are in Decline as M’sians Prefer Going to Thailand, But Can We Blame Them?

Recently, 2 experts brought up the trend of Malaysians preferring to travel to Thailand instead of local tourists spots such as Langkawi, in 2 separate articles.

Chief Executive Officer of the Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) Zainudin Kadir shared that Malaysians choosing to go to Thailand has caused tourism to decline in Langkawi.

Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Melaka, Dr. Mohamad Idham Md. Razak, on the other hand, explained that the choice to vacation in Thailand over a local spot is causing our currency to drop in comparison with the Thai baht.

“The choice is in everyone’s hands, but, from an economic point of view, we will lose because a lot of money is flowing out. Money should be ‘circulated’ within the country by encouraging more tourism activities while boosting the domestic economy,” Dr. Mohamad Idham said.

This didn’t sit well with netizens

Many users commented that going on a trip to Thailand feels more worthwhile as Langkawi has become too expensive of a local destination.

“If prices continue to rise, people will choose to look for more economical destinations. The experience of going to Langkawi recently shows that the cost of food is too expensive for tourists,” said a user.

“Who asked for things to be so expensive in Langkawi? Rental cars are expensive, hotels are expensive, restaurants are expensive. Long story short, everything is expensive. And it’s said to be a tax-free zone,” said another.

“You can buy chocolates for cheaper at Mydin. It’s better to just go to Thailand, for RM10, there’s so much you can get there.”

Meanwhile, one user pointed out that, “Hotels, food, transportation, everything is far cheaper in Thailand than at our local destinations.”

While it is saddening to hear how our economy and tourism are in decline, we can’t help but agree that it feels more satisfactory to spend our hard earned money at more exotic yet cheaper overseas destinations.

Perhaps the authorities can look into and improve the prices at local tourist spots so that Malaysians can actually afford vacationing there without breaking the bank. After all, the people should not be blamed for wanting the best out of their buck.

What do you think of this?

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