Summer has long reigned as Malaysia’s peak season for tourist arrivals from India, and the prospects for this year appear exceptionally bright, as affirmed by key players within the Malaysian tourism industry.
This optimism is fuelled, in part, by the strengthened direct air links between Malaysia and India, alongside proactive initiatives spearheaded by the Malaysian government.
Zahira: the buying power from the Indian market has also improved compared to pre-Covid days
Notably, the recent implementation of visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, valid for up to 30 days from December 1, 2023, to December 30, 2024, alongside the favourable exchange rate of the weak ringgit, has sparked heightened anticipation for increased tourism arrivals this season.
This year’s Indian summer season falls from the second week of May until end July.
Zahira Tahir, founder and CEO of Universal Holidays, emphasised that while Indian passport holders enjoy visa-free access to Malaysia, some degree of advance planning remains essential.
She shared: “Last-minute airfares can be prohibitively expensive, and securing hotel accommodations in prime locations – particularly in favoured destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, and Genting – may prove challenging.”
Year-on-year, her company has targeted a 50 per cent increase in bookings for the upcoming summer season. While arrivals last summer were mostly from the northern and southern regions, this year the company is also getting many bookings from eastern and western India due to improved direct air links, in addition to the northern and southern regions.
Zahira added: “The buying power from the Indian market has also improved compared to pre-Covid days. Now, they are looking for branded four- and five-star properties. In the past, it used to be mainly budget properties.”
Arokia Das Anthony, executive director of The Essence of Asia Tours & Travel, revealed that his company anticipates a significant 30 per cent surge in Indian arrivals this summer compared to the previous year.
Last year, the company handled close to 5,000 travellers from India over the three-month summer season, of which 60 per cent were FIT bookings, he shared.
He noted that a significant challenge last year was the limited availability of airline seats to Malaysia, leading to many travellers postponing their holiday plans. However, this year has witnessed substantial improvements in air connectivity.
For airlines, AirAsia Malaysia has announced new direct routes from Kuala Lumpur to Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam and Ahmedabad among others while Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will double frequencies on the Kuala Lumpur-Trivandrum route from April to four flights weekly – its Kuala Lumpur-Amritsar route has already been increased to four times weekly since January 15.
Arokia also mentioned a surge in inquiries for Langkawi, prompting the company to develop new nature-based experiential tours tailored for young travellers.
Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, highlighted an upward trend in bookings from India year-on-year. Additionally, there has been an increase in forward bookings for multi-generational travel and long-term stays compared to last year. Moreover, bookings are also pouring in for groups of friends travelling together, with requests for rooms in close proximity or on the same floor.
Summer has long reigned as Malaysia’s peak season for tourist arrivals from India, and the prospects for this year appear exceptionally bright, as affirmed by key players within the Malaysian tourism industry.
This optimism is fuelled, in part, by the strengthened direct air links between Malaysia and India, alongside proactive initiatives spearheaded by the Malaysian government.
Notably, the recent implementation of visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, valid for up to 30 days from December 1, 2023, to December 30, 2024, alongside the favourable exchange rate of the weak ringgit, has sparked heightened anticipation for increased tourism arrivals this season.
This year’s Indian summer season falls from the second week of May until end July.
Zahira Tahir, founder and CEO of Universal Holidays, emphasised that while Indian passport holders enjoy visa-free access to Malaysia, some degree of advance planning remains essential.
She shared: “Last-minute airfares can be prohibitively expensive, and securing hotel accommodations in prime locations – particularly in favoured destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, and Genting – may prove challenging.”
Year-on-year, her company has targeted a 50 per cent increase in bookings for the upcoming summer season. While arrivals last summer were mostly from the northern and southern regions, this year the company is also getting many bookings from eastern and western India due to improved direct air links, in addition to the northern and southern regions.
Zahira added: “The buying power from the Indian market has also improved compared to pre-Covid days. Now, they are looking for branded four- and five-star properties. In the past, it used to be mainly budget properties.”
Arokia Das Anthony, executive director of The Essence of Asia Tours & Travel, revealed that his company anticipates a significant 30 per cent surge in Indian arrivals this summer compared to the previous year.
Last year, the company handled close to 5,000 travellers from India over the three-month summer season, of which 60 per cent were FIT bookings, he shared.
He noted that a significant challenge last year was the limited availability of airline seats to Malaysia, leading to many travellers postponing their holiday plans. However, this year has witnessed substantial improvements in air connectivity.
For airlines, AirAsia Malaysia has announced new direct routes from Kuala Lumpur to Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam and Ahmedabad among others while Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will double frequencies on the Kuala Lumpur-Trivandrum route from April to four flights weekly – its Kuala Lumpur-Amritsar route has already been increased to four times weekly since January 15.
Arokia also mentioned a surge in inquiries for Langkawi, prompting the company to develop new nature-based experiential tours tailored for young travellers.
Zulkifli Rahman, director of sales and marketing at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, highlighted an upward trend in bookings from India year-on-year. Additionally, there has been an increase in forward bookings for multi-generational travel and long-term stays compared to last year. Moreover, bookings are also pouring in for groups of friends travelling together, with requests for rooms in close proximity or on the same floor.