KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 ― Malaysians are getting more confident about travelling within the country, according to the latest survey by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).

The survey revealed that 60 per cent of the 1,000 Malaysian travellers surveyed preferred to travel domestically, citing the lower cost of travel and the high risk of exposure to Covid-19 when travelling internationally as the reasons for their preference, among others.

Meanwhile, the remaining 40 per cent of respondents have expressed a preference for international travels, where 72 per cent are mulling about visiting destinations within Asia, with the top three countries being Japan, China and South Korea.

“While Malaysian travellers are still cautious of the evolving circumstances related to the pandemic and are wary of contracting Covid-19, this survey indicates that Malaysians are looking forward to resuming air travel in both domestic and international sectors.

“With the findings of this study, the Commission hopes that the relevant industry players will continue with their efforts to be vigilant and make appropriate improvements at key travel touchpoints to further strengthen public confidence towards air travel as we move further into the reopening of our skies,” Mavcom executive chairman Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim said in a statement today.

The survey also highlighted that key travel touchpoints within airports need to be redesigned to incorporate crowd control and physical distancing measures, routine sanitisation as well as contactless facilities.

It also revealed that the adoption of digital technologies such as paperless travel documents and e-payment facilities were some of the things expected by consumers. ― Bernama