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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published September 30, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Tourist arrivals buck trend with 4.4% rise
Growth driven by 13% increase in Singapore visitors
By PAULINE NG
IN KUALA LUMPUR
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MALAYSIA'S tourism sector has so far defied the global recession and H1N1 outbreak, registering an increase of 4.4 per cent up to August. Of the 15.4 million arrivals, Singaporeans accounted for more than half or 8.26 million.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Taking flight: The aviation liberalisation between Singapore and Malaysia has played a major part in the tourism boom, together with a weaker ringgit </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>This marks a 13 per cent increase over the same period last year, and has been a significant factor in Malaysia's tourism resilience, the economic gloom notwithstanding.
August was a telling example. Although total arrivals rose by 10.4 per cent year-on-year to slightly over 2 million, the number of tourists from Singapore grew by twice as much or 22 per cent. Going by the current trend, tourist arrivals from Singapore ought to breach the 12 million mark this year.
Malaysian tourists to Singapore also grew as at end August, but at a slower pace of slightly over 8 per cent to 433,000.
Traditionally the mainstay of Malaysia's tourism sector, Singaporeans have found the country an even more attractive proposition this year owing to an increasing number of flight points between both countries - the result of greater aviation liberalisation - and cheap fares owing to the fierce competition between airlines. Throw in the weak ringgit which is nearly 2.5 to a Sing dollar, and the appeal becomes obvious.
Although not the biggest spenders - the West Asians reportedly spend an average RM1,000 (S$406) per visit compared to Asean visitors of some RM400, according to a 2005 Mastercard survey - their numbers and growing affluence matter to the domestic economy, which last year received total tourism receipts of RM49.6 billion from 22 million visitors.
Except for February and May, the number of Singaporeans flocking over to Malaysia has risen by double digits this year. February proved the only blip with arrivals contracting by 3.6 per cent year-on-year while May's expansion was a slight 2.7 per cent only.
The aviation liberalisation between both nations has played a major part in the boom, with AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways, and MAS subsidiary Firefly now doing more than 450 runs a week between Malaysia and Singapore.
From the sole Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, the carriers now cover eight additional destinations: Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Subang in the Klang Valley.
Although the total number of flights has expanded by 8-9 times, travel demand remains robust and other cities such as Sandakan and Tawau have already been added to the approved fly-list.
The KL-Singapore route remains the most popular - AirAsia's load factor is over 70 per cent for example - but Singaporeans are also flocking to other Malaysian cities now that it's so convenient.
Take Sabah as an example. An executive at a popular hotel said Singaporeans have been quick to jump at special offers. 'We have been seeing more Singaporeans especially when we had a promotion with Jetstar,' she said.
Data from Sabah Tourism reveals that 22,582 Singaporeans had visited the state as at end July compared with 19,125 for the whole of last year. June registered a staggering 6,000 over arrivals, compared to last year's monthly average of 1,000-plus.
Another possible reason for the spike in visitors to Malaysia could be Singaporeans 'downsizing' holiday plans in view of the economic slump, rather than heading to more expensive further a field locales. Singaporeans apparently spent 28 per cent of some RM22 billion expended in Malaysia last year on shopping, former tourism minister Azalina Othman Said previously revealed.
Tourist arrivals for the first eight months of the year from Indonesia - Malaysia's second largest source market - saw little change, shrinking about 0.8 per cent year-on-year to 1.5 million.
While the total number of arrivals is slightly up, whether it can beat last years takings of nearly RM50 billion remains to be seen.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Tourist arrivals buck trend with 4.4% rise
Growth driven by 13% increase in Singapore visitors
By PAULINE NG
IN KUALA LUMPUR
<TABLE class=storyLinks border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Email this article</TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right></TD><TD>Print article </TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right></TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>MALAYSIA'S tourism sector has so far defied the global recession and H1N1 outbreak, registering an increase of 4.4 per cent up to August. Of the 15.4 million arrivals, Singaporeans accounted for more than half or 8.26 million.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Taking flight: The aviation liberalisation between Singapore and Malaysia has played a major part in the tourism boom, together with a weaker ringgit </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>This marks a 13 per cent increase over the same period last year, and has been a significant factor in Malaysia's tourism resilience, the economic gloom notwithstanding.August was a telling example. Although total arrivals rose by 10.4 per cent year-on-year to slightly over 2 million, the number of tourists from Singapore grew by twice as much or 22 per cent. Going by the current trend, tourist arrivals from Singapore ought to breach the 12 million mark this year.
Malaysian tourists to Singapore also grew as at end August, but at a slower pace of slightly over 8 per cent to 433,000.
Traditionally the mainstay of Malaysia's tourism sector, Singaporeans have found the country an even more attractive proposition this year owing to an increasing number of flight points between both countries - the result of greater aviation liberalisation - and cheap fares owing to the fierce competition between airlines. Throw in the weak ringgit which is nearly 2.5 to a Sing dollar, and the appeal becomes obvious.
Although not the biggest spenders - the West Asians reportedly spend an average RM1,000 (S$406) per visit compared to Asean visitors of some RM400, according to a 2005 Mastercard survey - their numbers and growing affluence matter to the domestic economy, which last year received total tourism receipts of RM49.6 billion from 22 million visitors.
Except for February and May, the number of Singaporeans flocking over to Malaysia has risen by double digits this year. February proved the only blip with arrivals contracting by 3.6 per cent year-on-year while May's expansion was a slight 2.7 per cent only.
The aviation liberalisation between both nations has played a major part in the boom, with AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways, and MAS subsidiary Firefly now doing more than 450 runs a week between Malaysia and Singapore.
From the sole Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, the carriers now cover eight additional destinations: Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Subang in the Klang Valley.
Although the total number of flights has expanded by 8-9 times, travel demand remains robust and other cities such as Sandakan and Tawau have already been added to the approved fly-list.
The KL-Singapore route remains the most popular - AirAsia's load factor is over 70 per cent for example - but Singaporeans are also flocking to other Malaysian cities now that it's so convenient.
Take Sabah as an example. An executive at a popular hotel said Singaporeans have been quick to jump at special offers. 'We have been seeing more Singaporeans especially when we had a promotion with Jetstar,' she said.
Data from Sabah Tourism reveals that 22,582 Singaporeans had visited the state as at end July compared with 19,125 for the whole of last year. June registered a staggering 6,000 over arrivals, compared to last year's monthly average of 1,000-plus.
Another possible reason for the spike in visitors to Malaysia could be Singaporeans 'downsizing' holiday plans in view of the economic slump, rather than heading to more expensive further a field locales. Singaporeans apparently spent 28 per cent of some RM22 billion expended in Malaysia last year on shopping, former tourism minister Azalina Othman Said previously revealed.
Tourist arrivals for the first eight months of the year from Indonesia - Malaysia's second largest source market - saw little change, shrinking about 0.8 per cent year-on-year to 1.5 million.
While the total number of arrivals is slightly up, whether it can beat last years takings of nearly RM50 billion remains to be seen.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
