Those in the tourism industry have been urged to look at digital initiatives to attract foreign and domestic tourists to destinations in Malaysia as Covid-19 restrictions ease, worldwide.
Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) president Uzaidi Udanis singled out TikTok videos as playing a big part in local tourists finding hidden gems in Malaysia, adding that travel operators must embrace digital transformation.
“Digital and social media platforms are helping tourists discover new places,” Uzaidi said.
“In a post-Covid-19 world, we must change how we attract tourists. Operators no longer have to spend millions of ringgit on advertisement campaigns when they can produce promotional videos on social media platforms.
“Millennials and Gen-Z travellers look for tips on such platforms. So, if we are to rethink tourism, we must go digital.”
Uzaidi said this at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Malaysia Chapter Taylor’s University Youth Symposium, entitled ‘World Tourism Day: Rethinking Tourism’, this afternoon.
Angelica Chan, country manager, Traveloka Malaysia, agreed with Uzaidi.
She said data showed that travel behaviour had changed, post-Covid-19, with millennials and Gen-Z tourists more dependent on digital platforms.
“They want everything digitised. Businesses must adapt or risk being left behind,” said Chan.
“We need to help them transition to the digital age and to educate them on the tools to survive.”
The symposium was also participated by representatives from PATA, Tourism Malaysia, and Taylor’s University.
Tourism Malaysia’s deputy director-general (planning), Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, said the tourism industry must be proactive and innovative to ensure sustainability.
Realising the challenges of restoring the tourism industry’s competitiveness, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) launched a series of initiatives aimed at revitalising and transitioning to a more sustainable and resilient future.
The six transformation strategies in the policy include creating special tourism investment zones, embracing smart tourism, enhancing demand sophistication, and practising sustainable and responsible tourism.
Since the opening of Malaysia’s international borders in April of this year, the country has surpassed its initial target of two million international tourists, contributing RM8.6 billion in tourism receipts.
As such, Tourism Malaysia has revised its initial target and now expects 9.2 million international tourist arrivals, with a projected RM26.8 billion in tourism receipts for 2022.
