Report: Malaysia in Recovery: Lifestyle and Travel Sentiments
This report explores the current pulse of sentiment among Malaysian consumers. The aim is to help marketers and brands cast a picture of what the lifestyle and travel sentiments currently look like presently.
May 2020 Consumer Report
Download the PDF report and view the full results of the survey collected over a 2 week period in April/May 2020.
We asked Malaysians across different age groups and locations to understand their confidence in going out to explore the world again, where, and what their motivations may be, particularly in relation to domestic and international travel.
At the time of this survey, Malaysia is just entering a Conditional Movement Control Order stage and the sentiment reflect that moment in time.
Uncertainty will continue to persist and we note that this sentiment of fear will always be governed by factors of the day including news coverage, the current status of each country in the region, what is advised by the governments and each individual’s own experience.
We also note that sentiments will likely change as the economy begins to open up and will improve or worsen depending on the situation on the ground.
This report is a snapshot in time and will guide how we form our strategy moving forward. It gives us a pulse on areas we may need to improve on to gain confidence and on areas that may likely remain volatile for some time to come.
The fear of going out post-MCO is real.
People will still be cautious when going out even after MCO is lifted, many will still prefer to stay indoors and would not leave their house if not for necessities.
Respondents will maintain current practices for at least 2 to 6 months post-MCO.
Social distancing, frequent hand washing and hand sanitising will still be placed as an important safety measure to take.
Malaysians are most confident to visit open spaces post-MCO but still avoid crowded, confined spaces.
Being aware of how the virus is spread, Malaysians are cautious of places they visit by avoiding places that they know crowd control will be an issue.
6 months is perceived as the ‘safer period’ for domestic travels and 1 year for international travels.
Confidence to travel again requires a slower recovery. While younger respondents are more confident to travel again than their elders, at least 6 months post-MCO is needed for them to be confident enough to travel again.
Respondents are eager to travel again to escape and getaway.
Being confined at home for 2 months, people are seeking to explore the world again. They are looking forward to nourishing their soul through travelling to international destinations once more.
Most confident international destinations to travel to: Taiwan, Singapore, Australia.
Insecurities still exist when it comes to international destinations. People’s confidence in a destination is build upon how the destination responds to the crisis and measures taken to keep places safe for visitors to come back again.
About BRANDTHINK Malaysia
We are a marketing communications company that solves business problems. We do that by telling great stories. Amazing stories. Entertaining stories. Simple stories. Stories that shape conversations, change perceptions and influence actions. Stories that encourage customers to fall in love with our clients. Established in 2000, we have found new, imaginative and intelligent ways to solve business challenges through communications planning, public relations, Digital PR and consulting work.