Malaysia bus companies see slow demand for balik kampung tickets ahead of CNY

GEORGE TOWN - Sales of express bus tickets in Malaysia have so far fallen short of expectations, even though Chinese New Year is only two weeks away.

A check on sales of interstate express bus tickets showed that most bus companies still had plenty of tickets for sale.

Express bus operator Lim Eow Heng said demand for tickets was lukewarm because people might prefer to drive back to their home towns, or balik kampung, on their own so that they can enjoy food and scenery during the long journey.

“For now, the sales rate is like normal, with no surge in bookings,” he said.

But Mr Lim is hopeful that sales will pick up because traditionally, his company would see a surge as the holiday season draws closer.

Kelantan-based bus operator Laili Ismail also expects ticket sales to pick up in another week or two.

“Many people have not planned their leave days yet,” he said.

Mr Laili’s company, which started operating 20 years ago, has 90 express buses in its fleet plying routes between all states.

He encouraged passengers to book their tickets early to avoid last-minute disappointment during peak seasons.

“This also helps bus companies to better plan and allocate their resources, such as vehicles and drivers,” Mr Laili said.

Another express bus operator, Mr Ahmad Ruslan Abdul Latiff, said he normally receives bookings from universities to drive students back to their home towns during festive periods.

“This usually happens when tickets for the regular express buses at the terminals are sold out, which typically occurs during festive time,” he said.

Among airline companies, some routes seem to be more attractive than others.

Batik Air chief executive Chandran Rama Muthy said that at present, as the holiday season nears, while tickets for all flights are still available, seats on flights to Kota Kinabalu and Tawau are already half-sold.

“We encourage passengers to book early to secure their preferred travel times, as availability may fluctuate due to high demand,” he said.

He added that the airline is closely monitoring booking trends to ensure it can accommodate the growing number of passengers for highly popular routes.

Datuk Chandran also said current trends show that Malaysians like to go abroad during the festive season.

He said there is particularly strong interest in flights to destinations in South-east Asia where Chinese New Year is also celebrated, as well as popular family vacation spots.

“Notably, flights to Da Nang and Hanoi in Vietnam have already surpassed their expected load factor capacities, reflecting significant demand for these routes,” he said.

Malaysia’s long school holidays will be from Jan 18 to Feb 16, while Chinese New Year falls on Jan 29 and 30. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK