Jul 10, 2015

SHOPPING TOPS FOREIGN TOURIST EXPENDITURE FOR Q1 2015

PUTRAJAYA, 10 July 2015: Tourist expenditure on shopping took the top spot from accommodation for the first quarter of 2015, with an increase of 10.8% to RM4.9 billion against the same period last year. It constituted 28.1% of the total tourist receipts for the first quarter compared to accommodation which garnered a 26.3% share.

A total of 69.6% share of tourist expenditure this year was on accommodation, shopping, and food & beverages, compared to 68.5% for accommodation, shopping, and organised tours for the same period last year.

Accommodation and shopping remained as the two top components of tourist expenditure for the first quarter, constituting 54.4%. The growth in shopping expenditure was dominated by regional and medium-haul countries, namely Brunei (42%), Singapore (37.6%), Japan (37.6%), Thailand (34.5%), and Saudi Arabia (27.8%).

Based on the survey by Tourism Malaysia, shopping also remained as the second major activity engaged by tourists in Malaysia for the first quarter, which was 72.7%. The top five shopping areas for foreign tourists were Bukit Bintang (42.7%), George Town (17.0%), Kota Kinabalu (14.1%), Petaling Street (12.3%), and Johor Bahru (11.7%). Clothes/apparels constituted 49.6% of items purchased by tourists, followed by handicraft/souvenirs (45.5%), shoes (21.7%), cosmetic (16.4%), and chocolates (13.3%).

Besides tourist expenditure, the average per capita expenditure of foreign tourists also recorded growth. It increased by 3.5% to RM2,700.70 compared to RM2,609.10 in the first quarter of 2014.

The top three markets that registered the highest average per capita expenditure were Saudi Arabia (RM9,637.10), New Zealand (RM4,213.00), and Australia (RM4,133.50). In addition, four markets showed an increase of over 20% in average per capita expenditure, namely Japan (RM3,817.30; +34.3%), Thailand (RM1,994.30; +25.9%), Singapore (RM2,280.20; +22.6%); and Canada (RM3,486.60; +21.9%).


Meanwhile, the average length of stay (ALOS) of foreign tourists showed a hike of 1.7 nights to 6.7 nights compared to 5.0 nights for the same period last year. The three markets that recorded the highest ALOS were the Netherlands (11.7 nights), followed by the United Kingdom (11 nights), and Saudi Arabia (10.5 nights).

Factors that contributed to these positive performances included the favourable exchange rate, which was advantageous to foreign tourists and had encouraged them to spend more. Besides that, the drop in tourist arrivals for the first quarter had compelled hoteliers to offer more competitive rates to tourists. As a result, tourist expenditure on shopping was higher than accommodation and they stayed longer in the country.

Nevertheless, total tourist receipts recorded a decrease of RM1 billion or 5.4% against RM18.5 billion for the same period of 2014, reflecting the 8.6% drop in arrivals for the first quarter of 2015. The top three highest spending markets were Singapore (RM7.4 billion), Indonesia (RM1.8 billion), and China (RM1.3 billion).

The average per diem expenditure of foreign tourists for the first quarter was RM403.10, which is a drop of 22.8%, as a result of their longer stay in the country. Saudi Arabia charted the highest average per diem with RM917.80, followed by South Korea (RM898.40) and Singapore (RM877.00).

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

Malaysia celebrated its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The promotion of the country continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MyFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme “Endless Celebrations” emphasising the various festivals celebrated by its multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area).

Through the Tourism NKEA, collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination. The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.


Press contact:
Corporate Communications & Media Relations Unit:
Azizah Aziz (Ms), Senior Deputy Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email:
azizahaziz@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:
Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email:
anisramli@tourism.gov.my

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