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Malaysians
shun Hatyai and Bali |
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JOHOR BARU, Wed. --- The bird flu scare and security concerns in Thailand and Indonesia are forcing Malaysians to turn to other Southeast Asian countries for their year-end holidays. Hatyai and Pattani in southern Thailand, as well as Bali and Jakarta, which are traditionally the popular holiday destinations, are now low on the list. Even the number of people going to Hatyai for weekends has dropped significantly. Flight and package tour bookings for these destinations have plunged by more than 50 per cent. Some tour agencies have canceled tours because of poor demand. For the year-end holiday season, Malaysians favor destinations such as Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and China. Commonwealth Travel Corporation Sdn Bhd sales manager Hammond Choo said his company had advertised tour packages to Thailand and Indonesia two months ago but |
had to cancel them due to poor response. “The recent bombings in Bali is the reason why tourists are reluctant to go to the island”. “In Southern Thailand, the shootings are causing fear”. “China is still a popular choice but there are fewer enquiries for holidays in Harbin in northeast China as the province is the first stop of the south-bound migratory birds which may carry the avian flu virus. “Our popular routes this year are Taiwan, Hong Kong and China”. Vacation Hub Travel and Tour Sdn Bhd managing director K.K.Lai said he had canceled all packages to Bali and demand for tickets and packages to southern Thailand had also dropped. He said Bali was a popular choice until the bombings in September, which scared off all potential tourists. The bird flu scare in Indonesia was another contributing factor. |
“For Thailand, the demand for packages to Bangkok and Chiangmai are still good although there is a slight drop compared with last year. But for Hatyai, the drop is huge”. ZA Empire Travel and Tour Sdn Bhd managing director Zainal Abidin Abd Hamid said his company usually handled corporate tours for government servants to Indonesia and Thailand. He noted a sharp drop in bookings from civil servants to the two countries this year. Many are sticking to domestic tours. “No one bothered to enquire about packages to Hatyai and Bali. Can you imagine that?” The demand for tour packages to the United States and Europe is also low because of the unfavorable exchange rates.
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