Malaysians prefer to holiday overseas as they get better bargains, compared to visiting their own country, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun called on Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), to have a built-in mechanism offering lower airfares as an effort to encourage domestic tourism.
“Holidaying overseas sounds much better to Malaysians, but it affects domestic tourism. There should be a balance for us when traveling, because holidaying within our country will control the outside flow of the Ringgit.
“For one Malaysian to holiday abroad, we lose one local tourist in the country,” he said.
Masidi gave an example of the promotional fare of RM99 to London while to travel to Sandakan , one will have to fork out about RM400.
Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong, when asked to comment on the matter, said: “I think prices depend on supply and demand. If the supply is more, then players tend to do anything to get passengers. However, we want to continue to be committed to our tagline as a community airline.”
Masidi also proposed to Firefly and other airlines, to consider conveying conservation message to their passengers to protect nature.
“This is also in line with our tagline, ‘less is more’, meaning the less we disturb our pristine forest and sea, the more people will come to visit Sabah ,” he said.
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