TOURISM Malaysia plans to introduce cheaper local airfares to boost intrastate tourism, as domestic tourism has become the industry's backbone.
The promotional board's senior director (domestic & Events division), Mohd Roslan Abdullah, said that after discussions with local airliners, plans are afoot to boost air travel by lowering airfares.
He acknowledged that travel trade stakeholders have raised grievances about steep airfares, also driven by higher oil prices due to the Middle East conflict.
"We noticed that demand for domestic travel remains robust despite the higher air fares and rising living costs. But we are doing all we can in trying to bring down fares," said Roslan.
He said this after officiating at the Star- Karnival Cuti-Cuti Malaysia 2026 programme at the Sunway Carnival Mall.
As for the lingering effects of haze, Roslan said that it was an unfortunate phenomenon and it affects the entire region.
"Our health minister is visiting Indonesia to seek effective intervention from the latter's authorities. Open burning should be stopped, and we hope our neighbours heed our call."
Roslan said that the tourism authorities were liaising closely with the Health Ministry to come out with accurate data on remedial steps to be undertaken.
Also, a constant update on the Air Pollution Index (API) as a means to communicate with tourists on the extent of smog and haze in our skies, said Roslan.
He said that tourists were encouraged to don face masks and to reduce physical activities outdoors.
The tourism board will also be transparent in addressing the haze, as it concerns public health, said Roslan.
He also revealed that the carnival has registered strong growth after its last event in Sabah, where RM1 million worth of sales were secured by the trade participants.
Domestic tourism continues to solidify, with 74.7 million Malaysians travelling within the country, a 7.2 per cent rise in the second quarter of this year compared to 69.7 million in the same period last year.
Tourism receipts for the second quarter also reflected strong growth, going from RM29.2 billion last year to RM32.8 billion this year.
Domestic tourists in the first half of this year were 151.6 million compared to 143.7 million in the same period last year.
Roslan said it shows that domestic tourism remains the backbone of the industry, moving ahead. - September 27, 2026.
