Kuala Lumpur: Digital travel service users in Malaysia have surged, especially those living in urban areas, with nearly four out of ten urban digital consumers in Malaysia already using digital travel services.
The category is expected to grow 56% year-on-year by 2025 and contribute US$8 billion (RM36.18 billion) to Malaysia’s digital economy.
Google Cloud Indonesia and Malaysia Regional Director Megawaty Khie said travel ecosystem players cannot ignore the importance of providing always-on, simple, personalized and secure digital services.
Khie said Google search trends for the period from July 16, 2022 to July 15, 2023 suggest that adjacent industries can capture the opportunities presented by Malaysia’s tourism rebound.
“In Malaysia, inbound international air travel demand (flights by non-residents to a country) has experienced a substantial rise based on Google search volume between 1 August 2022 and 30 June 2023. 1 August 2022 DAY – On the day Malaysia lifted its remaining Covid-19 restrictions – inbound demand rose 1,180% year-on-year.
“This recovery will continue until the first half of 2023. Overall inbound demand will increase by more than 188% year-on-year between Aug. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023,” she told reporters at a press conference on tourism in Malaysia today. Industry Recovery and Growth: Trends, Opportunities and Innovations are discussed.
Digital tourism refers to the use of digital tools to organize, manage and even enjoy travel experiences.
Khie said search queries related to “travel credit card” and “travel insurance” in Malaysia grew by more than 750 per cent and more than 250 per cent, respectively, last year.
Search queries related to “medical tourism” in Malaysia have grown by more than 60 percent, while those related to Malaysia’s “digital nomad visa” have grown by more than 350 percent, she said.
“When we think about the economic impact of tourism, we usually focus on the contribution of core areas such as aviation and accommodation – and rightfully so. But our analysis also highlights the impact of tourism on other industries, from financial services to healthcare , to retail and shipping,” she said.
Khie said Google Cloud has launched new solutions and resources that are now available to organizations in Malaysia to help them innovate quickly, safely and responsibly with generative artificial intelligence (AI). –name
