Desert drought

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s efforts to woo the Middle East market during the holy month of Ramadan have fared poorly, with the country registering only negligible bookings. Middle East tourists who arrived in late July returned to their homes prior to Ramadan, which began on August 11. The market’s penchant for making last-minute bookings left the trade in the dark as to whether Middle East tourists would return to Malaysia for the two weeks post-Eid Ul Fitr prior to the end of their summer holidays.

Andy Muniandy, director of sales and business development of Asian Overland Services Tours and Travel, said efforts to attract Middle East clients through shopping tours and special rates had failed. He thus expected a 20 per cent drop year-on-year for this summer holiday period. At press time, rooms were still available in Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Hotels also did not impose a surcharge. “This was never the case in previous years,” said Muniandy.

World Avenues, which specialises in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets, is now looking to diversify its market mix, especially since Ramadan will continue to fall during the Middle East holiday season until 2015. Calling the trend “worrisome”, executive director Ally Bhoonee said: “While we will not neglect our GCC markets, we can no longer depend on them fully even though they are high-yield and long-staying guests. We have started tapping other Middle East countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, which have a large non-Muslim population who can travel during Ramadan. Their yield is lower than the GCC markets but beggars cannot be choosers.”

RM Travel and Tours executive director and CEO, Khadijah Abd Rahman, will try another tack for the next Middle East season – marketing homestays in Malay villages. Blaming the poor showing of her Middle East packages this year on their high rates and lack of religious elements, she said the homestay experience could chop 30 per cent off rates, compared to a 14-day tour package in a three-star hotel.

-TTG Asia.