travel
‘Cuti-Cuti Malaysia’ for most Malaysians celebrating 2016
Langkawi tops the list of destinations to usher in the new year. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 22, 2015.Forget winter wonderlands and indulgent overseas holidays to usher in the new year. Malaysians are choosing to stay close to home to welcome 2016 in their backyards, according to a survey by hotel booking, Hotels.com.
Langkawi came up top in the list of destinations to celebrate the new year, recording the highest number of hotel room check-ins between 30 December 2015 and 2 January 2016.
Searches for the beach destination have gone up a hefty 136% from the previous year, possibility due to a growing interest in eco-tourism and an increasing appreciation of nature, the site said in a release recently.
However, the biggest jump in searches was recorded for Cameron Highlands at a whopping 618% year-on-year, showing a renewed interest in the cool climes of the mountains.
“The Cameron Highlands is a fantastic substitute for Malaysians who want to enjoy a “winter” holiday, but don’t want to spend a fortune travelling to northern hemisphere destinations – like Europe or North America – where the weakening ringgit doesn't go as far,” said Nelson Allen, senior director of Marketing Asia Pacific of Hotels.com.
Capital city Kuala Lumpur remains in second place with 111% more searches compared to the previous year, as the city's year-end sales and myriad of cultures and cuisines continue to prove to be a hit with travellers.
Meanwhile, Malaysians' favourite international destination is Bangkok, Thailand, with 106% more searches than last year. The geographical proximity of the city and its status as a food and shopping heaven may have attributed to the increased interest. – December 22, 2015.
See below for Malaysians' most-searched destination for a year-end getaway:
1. Langkawi
2. Kuala Lumpur
3. Penang
4. Malacca
5. Cameron Highlands
6. Port Dickson
7. Bangkok
8. Taipei
9. Hong Kong
10. Singapore
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