Big data analytics to help meet tourism target

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Malaysia will use big data analytics to meet its 30 million tourist arrivals target and RM100 million tourist expenditure in 2020.

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said the tourism authority will also incorporate big data in its marketing and advertising campaigns, as well as its study on tourist behaviour and interaction.

With the current rapid shift towards digitalisation of the industry, he hopes that the private sector would follow suit.

At a recent media and industry appreciation dinner here, Bakhtiar said he is all for the use of new technology. He cited how tourism has become the world’s fastest growing (economic) industry.

He shared information gleaned from big data and revealed a new trend in heritage, eco and cultural forms of tourism.

He also said rich Asian nations are seeking slow-model tourism – defined as longer stays with more recreational and therapeutic activities.

The bulk of such tourists come from fastpaced lifestyle nations such as South Korea (31%), Hong Kong (29%), Taiwan (28%) and Japan (27%).

He strongly encouraged tapping into developed countries in Europe and the US, the industry pace-setters, not forgetting emerging economies like the Middle East, China and India.

Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general of planning, Zulkifly Md Said is confident of Malaysia meeting next year’s 30 million tourist target, projected to rake in RM100 million in tourist receipts. The figures will be tabled in conjunction with a glitzy Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign launch on Dec 31 here.

According to big data analysis, word-ofmouth recommendations from friends and family ranked the highest where sourcing of travel information is concerned, followed by individual travellers, the internet, travel agents and tour guides.

Main tourist activities in Malaysia were sightseeing (86%), shopping (86%), island visits (48%), swimming (40%), museums (34%), historical sites (28%), religious sites (27%) and theme parks (24%). Medical-tourism only comprised 3.6% of foreign visitors.

The majority of online travel information was accessed through search engines, social media and web sites, while travel blogging was the least approached.