PETALING JAYA: Hooray! hooray! it’s a holi-holiday.
Boney M got it right when they sang about “well, I’m game; fun is the thing I’m after”.
Since the start of school holidays last week, Malaysians appear undeterred by the fact that they have to let their wallets have a say in their holiday plans.
Instead of flying off to faraway places, many holidaymakers are opting for road trips.
Businesswoman and mother-of-two Sophia Datuk Ahmad, said she decided to drive to Pahang for the school holidays.
She said her family visited Hong Kong early this year but they had now decided to have fun locally in view of the currency exchange which was not in Malaysia’s favour.
“Since more of my family members will be coming along, it will be cheaper to drive,” said Sophia, 31.
Tourism Malaysia’s “Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Dekat Je” campaign, launched earlier this year, has been enticing Malaysians to explore their own country.
The campaign sent out the message that a vacation need not break the bank account or involve massive hours flying on the plane and that a road trip could be just as fulfilling.
A 46-year-old teacher and mother of three, who wished to remain anonymous, said her family would drive to Malacca.
“It’s cheaper to drive to Malacca and more convenient to move around,” she said.
Although her decision was influenced by the rising cost of living, she was quick to add that Malacca would have been chosen anyway because she wanted her children to learn about the wonders and culture of the historic city.
MATTA president Datuk Hamzah Rahmat said the travel habits of Malaysians this holiday season had not changed drastically compared to the same period last year.
However, he noted the growing interest in domestic vacations due to efforts like the “Dekat Je” campaign.
-thestar online.
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