Singapore tops Malaysians' favourite destination

Singapore has emerged as the top international holiday destination searched by Malaysians, while Kuala Lumpur is the top local destination choice, as revealed by TripAdvisor.Besides Singapore, eight other Asian destinations made it to the list, clearly showing Malaysian travellers' preference for flights within six hours."It comes as no surprise that Singapore has topped the list of most searched destinations by Malaysian travellers with its close proximity and its increased attractions such as the Universal Studios theme park, Gardens by the Bay as well as the Formula 1 Night Race," said Cindy Tan (pictured), vice president of display advertising, Asia Pacific, TripAdvisor.According to the World Tourism Organization 2012 Tourism Highlights, Asia and the Pacific recorded an increase of 13 million tourist arrivals in 2011, reaching a total of 217 million.Southeast Asia experienced the highest growth in international arrivals, benefiting from strong intraregional demand. A large number of destinations reported the largest increase of tourist arrivals including 1 million more in Singapore and 3 million more in Thailand.Ten most viewed international destinations by Malaysians on TripAdvisor:1. Singapore2. Bangkok3. Hong Kong4. Krabi Town5. Kuta6. Seoul7. Bandung8. Taipei9. London10. PatongAs for local destinations, Malaysians travel domestically based on their seasonal needs (for public holidays and festive seasons), the majority of Malaysians travel for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives, followed by shopping, vacation and entertainment and recreation, according to Domestic Tourism Survey 2011 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.Kuala Lumpur ranks as the most searched city within Malaysia on TripAdvisor as the city has the highest concentration of shopping malls and recreation facilities, as well as other forms of new urban-centric attractions, compared to the other states in Malaysia.Ten most viewed local destinations by Malaysians on TripAdvisor:1. Kuala Lumpur2. Melaka3. Genting Highlands4. Kota Kinabalu5. Georgetown6. Batu Ferringhi7. Johor Bahru8. Port Dickson9. Kuching10. KuantanThe ranking of destinations represents the number of sessions based on Malaysian IP addresses on TripAdvisor.com between 1 January 2012 and 30 November 2012.