Surprise F1 return sends Malaysia travel bookings soaring

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s surprise return to the Formula 1 calendar in October has sparked an immediate tourism surge, with international flight bookings to Kuala Lumpur more than doubling and Sepang hotel reservations soaring within days of the announcement, underscoring the tourism potential of the one-off race.

International flight bookings made after the Sunday (Jul 26) announcement, for arrivals between Oct 1 and 3, have jumped 106 per cent year on year, said Trip.com Malaysia.

Hotel bookings for stays between Oct 1 and 4 surged 1,614 per cent in Sepang, and 2,525 per cent in neighbouring Dengkil, even as Sepang climbed into the platform’s top five most-searched hotel destinations.