Since most Malaysians are saving money for vacations, the tourist industry is beginning to

suffer from inflation and the weakening ringgit.

K. Subramaniam, chairman of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Johor chapter, stated that tourism was a crucial economic sector that typically suffered during hard times.

When contacted, he stated that "Johor's tourism sector is experiencing a slowdown and it is expected to continue until next year."

He further stated that starting in July of this year, both incoming and outbound tourism business had decreased by around 60%.

In the beginning, enterprises and companies, according to Subramaniam, were confident that the economy would recover with the opening of Malaysia's international borders on April 1, 2022, once the situation with the COVID-19 epidemic had improved on a worldwide scale.

However, he added, "the economy hasn't yet recovered to its pre-COVID-19 levels, and right now we're dealing with inflation and a declining ringgit."

The last thing on people's minds right now, he continued, is vacationing because consumer sentiment is at an all-time low and they have less money to spend.

When visiting the state, more domestic visitors from outside Johor are increasingly staying with friends or family rather than making hotel reservations, according to Subramaniam.

He claimed that nowadays, residents of Johor choose to visit free public parks, beaches, or urban jungles.

Because of the lower ringgit, he claimed, locals had also reduced their international travel this year. He added that the scenario was expected to last until 2024.

Many Singaporeans have avoided Johor in favor of Melaka and Kuala Lumpur at the same time.

This is due to Johor Baru's increasing traffic congestion and difficulty in locating a parking space, according to Subramaniam.

Ahmad Mohamad, vice president of the Johor Homestay Association, bemoaned the fact that despite the country's international borders being reopened, business was still sluggish.

He claimed that homestay providers in the state hadn't received many reservations, particularly from foreign visitors.

Even local visitors are reluctant to reserve our guesthouse in Kampung Seri Paya, Kulai, according to Ahmad.

Operators in Kulai and Sedenak have changed their homestays to village stays to lessen the impact, he claimed.

He explained that this idea would involve leasing their land to companies in charge of working

Each property may accommodate a maximum of eight people, and the rent is between RM3,000 and RM4,500 per month, he said.

On the other side, Ahmad claimed that domestic tourists continued to favour the homestay alternatives in Gunung Pulai and Kulai since the neighbouring Gunung Pulai waterfalls were a major draw.

He added, "We hope Johor Tourism can develop efficient marketing campaigns to promote Kulai's agrotourism, mountain trekking, and nature trails, particularly to foreign tourists.