Arya News - Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said there had been no significant impact on bookings and trips so far, although some tourists had postponed their visits or changed their itineraries to avoid outdoor activities.
PETALING JAYA – The country’s domestic tourism sector remains healthy despite haze-related disruptions to some inbound tours, with industry players hoping conditions will improve ahead of the December holiday season.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said there had been no significant impact on bookings and trips so far, although some tourists had postponed their visits or changed their itineraries to avoid outdoor activities.
Travel agents had adjusted arrangements to suit customers’ preferences, including replacing outdoor excursions with indoor attractions when necessary.
“Activities such as theme park visits, hiking and other outdoor excursions could be replaced with alternatives when haze conditions affected visitors’ experiences.”
Wong said such adjustments were normal in the travel industry, but warned that prolonged haze could pose a long-term risk to Malaysia’s tourism reputation.
“The concern is if this is going to be a recurring problem,” he said, adding that domestic tourism remained healthy, as reflected in the performance of recent MATTA fairs.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president Mint Leong said the haze had affected inbound group tours, with some bookings postponed and others cancelled following extensive media coverage of the conditions in Malaysia.
She said about 30% of group tours scheduled for November had been cancelled, although the figure did not include individual travellers.
“The impact varied by destination, as not all parts of Malaysia were affected equally. Langkawi and Genting Highlands, for instance, were among the destinations where travel could continue without significant haze-related disruption.
“Some tour operators had replaced outdoor activities with indoor alternatives, including redirecting Kuala Lumpur walking tours to museums and shopping centres.”
Malaysian Tourism and Travel Agents president Muhammad Syazri Afiq Rosli said there had been industry reports of fewer bookings and some cancellations but cautioned against interpreting these as evidence of a nationwide decline in tourist arrivals caused solely by the haze.
“Outdoor sightseeing, nature excursions and island activities are particularly vulnerable, as visitors might postpone their trips, shorten outdoor activities or consider alternative destinations.
“The impact could also extend to tour guides, transport providers and small businesses that depended on tourist spending,” he said.
Syazri said it was too early to determine whether the current impact was more severe than previous haze episodes without comparable data on cancellations, tourist arrivals and revenue.
The duration of the haze, the destinations affected and any disruption to transport and planned activities would determine the extent of the impact, he said, adding that prolonged haze could affect future bookings and confidence in Malaysia as a destination.