Malaysian beachgoers found to harbour a fear of shark attacks

THE RESULTS of the 2016 Expedia Flip Flop Report, an annual study of the behaviour and preferences among beachgoers around the world, was recently released by Expedia.com. my.

The study found that many Malaysians prefer to holiday at one of the many pristine local beaches, and 71% have taken a beach holiday in the last 12 months.

Also, many quirky habits were discovered as well.

Even after more than 30 years, the movie Jaws has left an indelible imprint, as 35% of Malaysian beach-going respondents said they were afraid of shark attacks.

This is despite the fact that shark attacks are extremely rare in the country.

A popular shark attack tracking site, Shark Attack Data, notes only three, nonlethal incidents in Malaysia since 1968.

This sits pretty high when compared to the mere 16% who fear drowning as their top beach-related concern.

The reason for this could be why 51% of Malaysian beachgoers hardly swim at the beach, and instead, prefer to watch other beachgoers (about 40%).

Expedia Southeast Asia and India group general manager Simon Fiquet said: “The study enlightens us to the fact that Malaysia, with its people, is indeed an interesting destination to visit.

“Malaysians obviously already know this and domestically, the tourism industry is seeing positive growth with popular destinations like the Pulau Perhentian, Langkawi and Pangkor Laut beaches continuing to attract local and foreign travellers year after year.”

When asked about some of the key amenities their beach lodging should have, a resounding majority of 63% voted for WiFi and internet browsing with 38% saying that they needed internet access to share snippets of their experience on social media.

This is in line with the fact that Malaysians are one of the world’s most active social media consumers.

As for pet peeves, nothing seems to annoy Malaysian beachgoers and threatens to spoil their holiday more than ‘The Slob’ – the culprits who leaves garbage behind on the beach.

Some 56% of respondents voted against The Slob, which is surely a great news for everyone interested in keeping Malaysia’s white sands, and clear, blue waters in pristine condition.

Other culprits Malaysians do not want on the beach include:

The Loud Mouth – the beachgoer who talks so loudly that you can’t help but listen to his/her conversations.

The Paparazzi – the beachgoer who photographs any and everyone. Invading someone’s privacy is a definite no-no even when you are on a beach holiday.

The DJ – inconsiderate beachgoers who play their music way too loud, disturbing the peace of others.