Over RM130 million from Malaysia is expected to ‘flow’ to Thailand during this long Hari Malaysia weekend as well as the school holidays, as more than 100,000 Malaysians are choosing to spend their holidays in the neighbouring country.
According to a report by Harian Metro, Economic Analyst, Professor Emeritus Dr Barjoyai Bardai shared that this proves that the trend of travelling abroad is increasingly becoming a lifestyle for Malaysians.
“This holiday season alone saw more than 100,000 Malaysians estimated to go on holiday to Thailand with an average spending of RM600 per person, bringing the total (expenditure) expected to exceed RM130 million,”
“This expenditure is not small because the money should help stimulate the domestic economy, especially the local tourism sector. On the contrary, it provides huge profits to the overseas tourism industry, while domestic businesses miss out on the opportunity of public holidays,” he said.
What happens if Malaysians choose to travel locally
Dr Barjoyai Bardai, who is also the Dean of the Graduate Studies Centre at the University of Science and Technology Malaysia (MUST), further explained that, if people choose to spend the holidays within the country, the same amount could provide new income to hoteliers, restaurants and local small traders.
“If this RM130 million is spent domestically, hundreds of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will benefit and be competitive. But, now, it is flowing out in just a few days of holidays, illustrating how much of the people’s spending power has been lost,” he said, adding that this situation has further weakened the local tourism sector.
“If 5 million people holiday in the country throughout the year, the total expenditure could reach RM3 billion, and that is enough to revive our tourism sector.”
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