JOINT efforts by the travel trade to encourage Middle Eastern travellers to stay on in Malaysia and experience the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts today, and the big Aidulfitri celebration at the end of the holy month, have yielded poor results. Inbound tour operators have seen negligible new bookings during the fasting month, while Middle East tourists who arrived in late July for their summer holidays have left.
World Avenues executive director Ally Bhoonee said: "As a wholesaler specialising only in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) market, this trend is worrisome. It is an indication of what is to come for the next five years as Ramadan will continue to coincide with the summer holidays." It is still too early to gauge how bookings will fare post-Aidulfitri as travellers from the Middle East tend to book last minute.
-TTG Asia.
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