KUALA LUMPUR: More Malaysians are planning to travel, both domestic and internationally, as the government slowly eases travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated.
A recent survey by Finder.com's Travel Index said new data revealed that 34 per cent of Malaysian adults are planning to travel somewhere in the next three months, up from 30 percent from a month ago.
The survey showed that short-term international travel plans have hit a four month high, with 15 per cent planning to fly overseas in September, October or November, from 14 per cent recorded last month.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of Malaysian adults or 24 per cent plan to travel domestically over the months of September, October, and November, up one per cent from July survey's findings.
Finder.com's editor-at-large, Angus Kidman said the slight jump in travel plans coincides with the government decision to ease travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated.
"For the first time since the April survey, we're seeing an increase in the number of Malaysians who have short-term travel plans," he said.
Kidman said in April, 44 per cent of Malaysians had travel plans, but that dropped to 36 percent in May, 33 per cent in June, 30 per cent in July, before climbing up to 34 per cent this month.
"We expect to see a demand for both domestic and international travel to increase as more people become vaccinated and providers such as Malaysia Airlines offer cheap flights and other perks," Kidman said.
However, he added that the situation remains fluid, depending on the restrictions of each country, and that one should be prepared for any sudden change of plans.
"This is even more vital with international travel, where you're dealing with travel requirements in both Malaysia and your destination country," he said.
