MANY M40 families won’t be able to afford overseas trips due to financial struggles, with the weak ringgit being cited as a significant factor.

The Malaysian Insight spoke to some of them, and they planned to spend on domestic travel, choosing to save the rest for their children’s school preparations.

Some said they prefer to go back to their hometown and look for free activities such as hiking and riverside camping.

Penang-born Mohd Azmin Sulaiman said his family will stay home during the holidays as he has other commitments come January.

Azmin, who is married to a lecturer, said his decision is not influenced by the current economic situation.

“There are other expenses that my wife and I have to cover, such as my road tax, which will expire at the end of December, and that alone is already RM1,500,” he said.

“Next year, two of my children will enter kindergarten while the eldest is entering Standard 4.

“Uniforms, bags, shoes and annual fees will cost us more than RM2,000. That is why I feel that we won’t be going anywhere.

“Most probably we will go back to our hometown and enjoy time with family,” said the private sector worker.

Nurul Hanani Omar, a 37-year-old Mass Communication lecturer, said that nothing is final at the moment, but one thing is certain – there will be no overseas trip for her family

She said her family may visit Tambun in Perak but it has yet to be decided.

“I was thinking of going to the Tambun theme park and that’s about it. However, going abroad is definitely not an option. Money is an issue given the current situation.

“Plus Ramadan is just around the corner in March and before that, my children will be entering schools so I need to prepare for that. Fees are not cheap these days,” said the woman from Klang.

According to the findings of “The Holiday Barometer 2023” conducted in March and April among 15,000 individuals across 15 countries, 80% of Malaysians reported feeling excited and happy to travel in 2023.

The survey – conducted by travel insurance firm Europ Assistance and research firm Ipsos – involved 1,000 Malaysians who answered various questions about their travel plans.

Asked about their destinations, 69% said they would head abroad, while 41% planned domestic holidays.

Notably, Malaysians seem to favour Asean markets like Thailand (25%), Indonesia (19%) and Singapore (18%).

When it comes to holiday types, 54% of Malaysians said they prefer the seaside, versus cities (53%), countrysides (42%), and mountainous regions (28%); while 47% said they would join a tour.

On average, local travellers planned to spend RM6,500, covering all expenses, per trip, with an average duration of 10 days for their vacation

The survey pointed out that both budget and duration are comparatively lower compared with other regions.

Balik Kampung trip

A group of female parents, when approached, said they will only be going back to their hometown to spend time with close relatives.

They also said it would be better to spend time hiking and camping rather than holidaying overseas.

“No time and no money to go overseas, I will probably go back to Terengganu and enjoy the scenery. There’s a lot of places to go and I don’t have to worry about accommodation as it is my home town.

“I can save a lot of money and like everybody else we need to think about our kids when schools reopen,” Nor Nisha Daud, a mother of three said.

Another mother, Siti Nuryani, from Selangor, agreed with Nisha saying she would be going to Pangkor for a short getaway.

“Just to clear our heads from work and school, we would go for a short trip to Pangkor.

“It won’t cost us that much and it won’t be long,” she said.

Penangite Nurul Izzah Hassan, who is also in the group, said she had already taken early leave to avoid road congestion due to school holidays.

She said she had only gone to Penang and the trip to there constitutes as her annual vacation.

Zubaidee Samah from Kajang his family, on the other hand, will be going to Port Dickson for the weekend.

“It is just Port Dickson for us. We went there last year and it was quite fun. So we are going there again. It is affordable and not much of a hassle,” the father of two said. – December 16, 2023.