{
  "id": 12049865,
  "title": "Malaysians choose family over shopping or holidays, domestic travel data shows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/malaysians-choose-family-over-shopping-or-holidays-domestic-travel",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T01:46:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369737/malaysians-choose-family-over-shopping-or-holidays-domestic-travel-data-shows"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysians prioritize visiting family and friends during domestic travel, making up 44 per cent of such journeys, according to the latest figures from the Statistics Department. The figure represents a significant increase from last year, when 35.6 per cent of travel visits were for family-related purposes. Budget hotels can cater to these travelers by offering competitive rates, family rooms, and convenient locations near residential areas and town centers. Smaller hotels in secondary towns might also benefit from this trend, as affordability, convenience, and cleanliness are key considerations for travelers. Hotels should adapt to accommodate shorter stays and family gatherings, while tourism infrastructure should improve to address accessibility, transport, and connectivity issues. Social media has helped showcase lesser-known attractions, encouraging visitors to explore their hometowns beyond simply visiting relatives. Travel agents can enhance these family visits by offering add-on experiences such as food trails, shopping excursions, heritage walks, and nature activities, thus encouraging travellers to spend more time and money at their destinations.",
  "summary": "Malaysians delight in visiting family and friends, so much so that these visits made up 44 per cent of domestic travel. They enjoy seeing their loved ones even more than shopping (21.6 per cent) and holidaying (13 per cent), as shown in the latest numbers from the Statistics Department on domestic tourism in the second quarter of this year. The 44 per cent recorded is even higher than last year’s…",
  "key_points": [
    "44% of domestic travel in Malaysia is for family visits",
    "Family-related travel increased from 35.6% last year",
    "Hotels should adapt to family travel needs"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Malaysians prioritizing family visits during domestic travel means budget hotels and smaller secondary town hotels can gain by adapting to shorter stays and family needs, improving their accessibility and connectivity.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}