M’sia Sees Robust Inbound & Outbound Travel Growth During Raya Holidays

This year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays have driven an uptick in travel demand, with more Malaysians taking the opportunity to travel abroad during the festive period, which coincided with both a long weekend and the March school holidays. Insights from global travel provider Trip.com Group revealed that outbound flight bookings by Malaysians grew 49% year-on-year (y-o-y) for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri season, compared to last year.

More than half of these bookings were for mid-haul destinations, with short-haul trips being a close second, showcasing a strong preference for regional travel around Asia. On average, Malaysians spent 8 days on their trips, with China, Singapore, and Indonesia emerging as the top 3 destinations, maintaining their popularity among Malaysian travellers.

Theme park attractions remained a major draw, dominating the top 10 international attractions booked by Malaysians. Jiuzhaigou National Park and Shibuya Sky also featured on the list, reflecting ongoing interest in scenic, immersive, and experience-driven travel.

Domestically, while land travel continued to be the primary option for balik kampung journeys, flight bookings also saw a slight y-o-y increase, with top cities mainly within East Malaysia. Compared to Malaysians travelling abroad, those choosing to travel within the country are taking shorter trips — averaging 4 days.

Making travel easy

Malaysians are quickly relying on digital tools to simplify their travel planning and booking process. On Trip.com, features such as Muslim-friendly filters have made it easier than ever for users to quickly identify accommodations that meet their needs. This has led to a 63% y-o-y increase in bookings for hotels tagged as ‘Muslim-friendly’ or ‘Halal property’ during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri season.

Data from TripGenie, Trip.com’s AI travel assistant, recorded a 65% month-on-month increase in Hari Raya Aidilfitri-related queries from Malaysian users, with peak activity observed between 12 and 14 March 2026. Queries were largely centred around halal and Muslim-friendly considerations, alongside demand for budget-friendly travel options during the festive period. This signals a clear shift towards more intentional, needs-based travel planning for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, where travellers are balancing cultural requirements with cost-conscious decision-making.

“Malaysians are increasingly seizing the chance to travel during the festive holidays, and whether it’s to local or international destinations, what they want is convenience and peace of mind at every stage of their journey. We are continuously enhancing our platform to make travel planning more intelligent and intuitive, so that travellers can quickly and easily find options that suit their specific needs. Trip.com is committed to making travel planning seamless, ensuring our users can enjoy their holidays with confidence,” said Stephane Thong, General Manager, Trip.com Malaysia.

Malaysia’s growing appeal

Ongoing momentum from the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign continues to position Malaysia as a preferred destination for international travellers. Trip.com Group data revealed a 26% y-o-y rise in inbound flight bookings for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period, primarily from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries and across the Asia Pacific region. China, Singapore, and Indonesia led as source markets.

More than half of inbound travel bookings made were by solo travellers or couples, with an average trip duration of 7 days. Four-star hotels accounted for the majority of bookings, signalling a preference for higher quality, premium options on these trips.

“With our rich blend of culture, cuisine, urban attractions, and natural landscapes, Malaysia continues to stand out as a popular destination in the region,” added Thong. “We continue to see sustained interest from international visitors. Given our strong connectivity and diverse offerings, Malaysia remains well-positioned to welcome even more visitors in the coming months.”

Note: Trends highlighted are based on Trip.com Group booking data for travel between 20-29 March 2026. Year-on-year comparisons were made against booking data for travel between 28 March-6 April 2025.
TripGenie data was based on interactions made between 1-19 March 2026, compared to 10-28 February 2026.

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