Malaysian Travellers in 2025: Smart, Digital, Intentional

The 2025 Malaysian Traveller is All About Smart, Digital Moves

From sakura season in Japan to music fests in Johor, travel is back on the map and Malaysian travel trends in 2025 are looking more digital, more decisive, and deeply data driven.

With over 23 million users, TNG eWallet has a front-row view into how Malaysians are planning, booking, and paying for their next adventure. The insights? Super relevant for marketers and brands ready to engage today’s digitally empowered explorer.

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Where Malaysians Are Going: Think Regional, Travel Bold

• 60% still prefer domestic getaways
• 39% venture across Southeast Asia
• 30% head to East Asia, especially Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong

The takeaway? Regional proximity matters, but confidence in digital tools is letting Malaysians travel farther than before.

🧠 Pro tip for brands:

Localised collabs or seasonal content across ASEAN and East Asia could drive serious engagement.

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One Traveller, Many Moods: Personalisation Is Key

Whether it’s a solo trip, a family escape, or a friends’ trip, motivations vary:

• Family holidays: 32%
• Solo explorations: 27%
• Friends' trips: 23%
• Couples’ retreats: 18%

Forget one-size-fits-all. Contextual messaging, segmented offers, and mood-based recommendations will win Gen Z over.

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Why We Travel: Events, Escapes, and Experiences

Top travel motivations include:

• 52% seek exploration and new experiences
• 29% attend events, festivals, and concerts
• 29% visit family and friends
• 17% travel for work

Brands should shift from just destination marketing to storytelling based on purpose and emotion.

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Booking Habits: Early Planners Meet Last-Minute Wanderers

• 42% plan a year ahead
• 18% book at the last minute
• 52% book directly via hotel or airline websites

This calls for dual marketing strategies: inspire early, convert late. Offer bundles or direct booking incentives.

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Travel Insurance & Connectivity: No Longer Optional

• 79% buy travel insurance
• Top concerns: lost luggage (55%), medical issues (49%), flight delays (40%)

Plus:

• 42% purchase travel e-SIMs pre-trip
• 37% activate roaming in advance

This is an open lane for telcos and insurance brands to integrate into digital ecosystems like eWallets.

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Spending Abroad: QR Codes Are Rising

• 73% still use cards
• 54% rely on cash
• But 18% now use QR payments internationally

As QR adoption grows in Asia, brands that enable scan and pay features abroad will tap into impulsive, real-time spending.

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Behavioural Segmentation > Income Brackets

TNG eWallet’s data shows:

• B40 users = price-sensitive, reward-seeking
• M40 users = value-driven, experience-curious
• T20 users = premium-first, seamless journey seekers

But the real unlock? Understanding intent and digital habits beyond just income.

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For Marketers: The Journey Has Changed

According to Wong Chee Mun of TNG Digital:

"TNG eWallet isn’t just a payments platform. It’s a travel agent, a billboard, and a search engine, all in one."

To stay relevant in 2025, brands need to show up not just early, but contextually and usefully at the moment of decision.