An Indian summer for Malaysia

Two Malaysia-based inbound agents strong in the Indian market are predicting an increase in forward bookings for the upcoming peak summer season, from end-April to mid-June, compared to the same period last year. Red Apple Travel & Tours’ managing director, Arokia Das Anthony, is projecting a 30 per cent increase in advanced bookings, while Tina Travel & Agencies’ managing director, Adam Kamal, is anticipating a 15 per cent hike. Adam said the increase will be due to Indian travellers switching destinations from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China over fears of radiation exposure resulting from the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan. Meanwhile, Arokia Das has noticed an increase in number of younger travellers from India, which he attributes to low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia launching budget services between the two countries. “They used to be in their 30s and above, now we’re seeing more travellers in their late 20s.” Arokia Das added that he was seeing increasing demand this year for tours combining traditional destinations, such as Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, with Sabah or Sarawak. -TTG Asia.