A WEAK ringgit and the haze have affected demand from Malaysia for the Singapore Grand Prix which starts today, travel experts report.
Mayflower Acme Tours’ deputy general manager – channel management, Abdul Rahman Mohamed, said: “This year, corporate demand is down 30 per cent. The weak ringgit and the haze are contributing factors. In the past, corporate oil and gas companies used to purchase packages from us as gifts to their CEOs and preferred clients, while the banking sector used to have competitions with F1 tickets and packages as prizes.”
Dream Holidays Planner Singapore’s business development director, Richard Ng, said most of his Malaysian clients put up in Johor Bahru due to cheaper hotel rates but travel to Singapore for the F1.
He added: “We’re not seeing as many Malaysian clients (compared with) last year because hotels (in Singapore) are now more expensive due to the weak ringgit.”
Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager of Johor Bahru-based New Asia Holiday Tours & Travel, agreed: “The savings is about 60 per cent when you compare a five-star international brand in Johor Bahru with its counterpart in Singapore.”
Navaratnaa is overseeing a group of 40 Thais staying in Johor Bahru for the Singapore Grand Prix, while a group of 30 Australians are extending their stay in Malaysia for an additional four nights. However, he has also received three last-minute cancellations for tours in Malaysia due to the haze.
