KUALA LUMPUR, 25 February 2025 – Trip.com Group has unveiled its latest travel insights research, Momentum 2025: The Big Things to Come in Travel, for travellers of all ages. The 6,000 passengers who were the subject of this report were from all six survey sites in Asia, including Malaysia. The report also discusses the significant changes that have shaped travel patterns in the area.
Food Tourism Toppled Malaysian Travel Trends
The food is by far the first most important factor among Malaysian travellers: 78% prefer food festivals, while scenic dining experiences and hotel dining experiences both ranked the same at 73%. Nowhere else is there a lower interest among those tourists in Malaysian molecular gastronomy workshops (16%) and wine or beer-tasting sites (25%). Instead, they want to taste authentic local food that celebrates the richness of Malaysian heritage.
Food festivals like Penang International Food Festival and Sabah Food Festival attract the interest of Millennials and Gen Z, further establishing Malaysia as a truly global food destination. To cater for this growing demand and trend, Trip.com Group introduced Trip. Gourmet, with comprehensive food guides, online reservations to restaurants, and culinary experiences on offer – a series covering 300 cities.
Media and Pop Culture Impact Travel Choices
Highly influenced by heavy media consumption, almost seven out of ten (91%) Malaysian respondents said they would be swayed by popular movies, TV dramas, and even digital shorts in deciding where their vacation would take them. This is the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.
Popular media inspirations include:
Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan- the local food program that brings culinary tourism into these areas and beyond.
Korean variety shows such as Running Man, where an average Malaysian might think walking down one of the streets and even the extinction of a superphenomenon such as Kim Soo-Hyun might be worth every penny in Korea.
Western blockbusters, such as Titanic, mingled with Mission Impossible are fueling aspirations for travel into one’s mind across the world.
The “set-jetting” trends indicate the strong pattern of entertainment consumption in Malaysia, which increasingly defines travelling trends.
Cruise Tourism on the Rise
Cruise tourism affects nearly three-quarters or 72% of Malaysian travellers, giving lures to the beautiful scenes for people accompanying the fresh air on the seas. With the attractiveness of 64% who seek an alternative cruise destination such as Jeju Island, Tokyo, and the Maldives, and most especially by 63% for the convenience of comprehensive packages, it is now gaining a significant hold; wellness and spa services seem to be more of an attraction among women, indicating a growing adventurous use of relaxation-based cruise holidays.
To add to its fold of cruise offerings, thus, makes Trip.com Group with leading partners like Resorts World Cruises and Disney Cruise Line for hassle-free bookings for cruisers coming from Malaysia.
The Rising Demand for Entertainment and Sport Tourism
Concerts and sporting events are becoming an increasing motivator for travel within Malaysia; as such, more than two-thirds – 66 per cent – within the country say it is likely they will, at some point, live in a particular location for a concert. The lift given by an events phenomenon in Malaysia like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2024-now almost two-thirds of Malaysian travellers have concerts slotted conveniently in their travel itineraries.
Football (62% in numbers), Formula 1 (42%), and basketball (31%) have seen a big increase in sport tourism. Interestingly, men are two better with football (73%) and Formula 1 (49%) travel, while women seem to be interested in horse racing (25%) and ice hockey (21%). It indicates, however, the tendency to travel through the experience and with the same consideration toward the culture behind the bandwagon.
Social Media Draw Malaysian Travel Taste-Makers
With 62 per cent of people from Malaysia booking trips based on viral hype, the country came in second place in Asia amongst regions for making social media decisions for travel. Currently, the following popular social media and internet destinations under trend are listed:
– Bali – with paradises known for its beaches, wellness retreats, and digital nomad culture.
– Tokyo – also known for its anime, street fashion, and Michelin-star dining.
– Seoul – all energized because of K-pop, K-dramas, and beauty tourism.
Changing the way Malaysians discover and plan their travels are TikTok, Instagram, and Trip.com’s Trip Moments.
Emerging Micro-Trends: Malaysia Travel
Malaysians have also started to adopt unusual experiences, making cool and immersive trips, including:
– Underwater Hotel Stays (43%)- Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm and Singapore’s S.E.A. Aquarium suites are popular varieties.
– Dark Sky Stargazing Trips (35%)- Kuala Kubu Bharu and Sabah emerge as rapidly becoming the best places for astrophotography.
– Cultural Immersion Stays (35%)- Increasing the popularity of homestays and indigenous tourism in Sarawak and Pahang.
The future of travel promises to be even more immersive and impactful than ever, although targeting more value-based experiences into the future of tourism as a whole will share space with AI in personalisation and sustainability in travel.
