Extra time for a spree

> Visitors thronging their favourite Penang attractions, thanks to the long weekend > Shoppers taking advantage of holiday stretch and Merdeka sales

A stretch of long weekends and unscripted public holidays this month can likely spell two things – domestic travel and shopping. Retailers are hoping Malaysians take full advantage of the situation to kick-start a shopping boom during this period. Interestingly, Malaysians took 253.9 million domestic trips last year, and spent a whopping RM74.8bil.

PETALING JAYA: With many taking the opportunity to “cuti-cuti Malaysia” during the long weekends and stretches of public holidays this month, malls and shop owners around the country are hoping for a retail boom.

This is because according to the Statistics Department, although Malaysians say their first reason to travel within the country is to visit family or relatives, their second reason is to shop. They also spend the most on shopping.

Domestic tourism is powering up, charging ahead with a 7% growth in the number of visitors last year that also saw Malaysians spending a whopping RM74.8bil and making 253.9 million trips around the country.

Last year, they spent the most – 35.3% of the total expenditure – on shopping. Some 33% said they travelled for shopping.

The first of a long weekend this month started from National Day on Thursday until Monday (Sept 4).

Other major public holidays are the birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V on Sept 9, which is a Saturday, followed by Malaysia Day on Sept 16 (Saturday) and Awal Muharram on Sept 22 (Friday).

Kelantan and Terengganu will have Sept 2 as an extra holiday for the Hari Raya Haji celebration while the Sarawak Governor’s birthday will be on Sept 9.

Domestic tourism is expected to benefit from the recent announce- ment by the Tourism and Culture Ministry that Malaysians would be exempted from having to pay the Tourism Tax, which came into effect yesterday.

Malaysia Shopping Mall Association adviser H.C. Chan said it was an “extremely positive news” seeing domestic tourism growth outstripping that of Malaysia’s GDP.

“This shows that the local tour- ism sector has improved, which is partly due to more domestic travels. Usually, if the GDP grows by 5%, the shopping mall business grows by 5% as well.

“This is positive news as it has exceeded even the projected GDP growth of 5%,” he said during a phone interview.

Chan, who is also Sunway Shopping Malls CEO, believes the weakened ringgit had deterred overseas travel, contributing to an increase in domestic tourism.

“Our shopping mall industry is still very much driven by local consumption.

“The additional 7% growth will create a multiplier effect in a local economy,” he said.

“With the weakened ringgit, it is cheaper to travel within the country,” he said.

Chan said the 35.3% spent by Malaysians on shopping was similar to that of foreign tourists.

“International tourists spend about one-third (of their budget) on shopping, with the rest going to accommodation, sight-seeing and travel,” he said.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) inbound vice-president Datuk K.L. Tan said domestic tourism had as much potential as the foreign one.

“Yes, they keep the tourism business alive. (However) certain places of attraction lack good infrastructure,” he said.

Malaysia Retail Chain Association president Datuk Garry Chua agreed that the weakened ringgit boosted domestic tourism although he felt that retail stores are still heavily dependent on foreign tourists.

“There is limited domestic growth because of the constraints on disposable income. That is why we need foreign tourists,” he said.