Woo senior citizens to travel with discounts

I AM in my late 60’s and I am blessed to be still able to travel independently within the country.

My wife abhors travelling so I pack my bags and do my own “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia”.

I drive to certain places in my old faithful-Gen2 or travel by the Electric Train Service, and sometimes I fly.

Being a senior citizen, the ETS offers a 50% discount on tickets, which is a treat for travel buffs in my age group.

Hopefully, KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad) will offer senior citizens a better deal for their business-class seats. At present, KTMB gives a 20% discount on business class tickets for senior citizens.

Local airline providers do not offer any discounts for senior citizens on flight tickets be they local or international.

I hope the local airlines will offer discounts for senior citizens to local destinations during off-peak seasons. This will encourage more seniors to travel within the country, especially to Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan, boosting the economy.

Most tourist attractions in the country offer discounts on their entrance tickets for seniors.

Some tourist spots do not have such discounts, and these should be streamlined.

Recently, I visited the Sekinchan Rice Mill gallery in Selangor and there was no senior citizen ticket concession. I had to fork out RM15 for the ticket.

Being listed under the Tourism Board, the Sekinchan Rice Mill should have senior citizen concessions.

Last month, I took a ferry to Pulau Ketam, off Port Kelang, and was charged RM20 for a return fare. The ferry operator had never heard of a senior citizen concession.

I have noticed that some tourist spots offer exclusive lanes for senior citizens. For example, the Penang Funicular Train has a special lane allowing seniors to board first. This thoughtful consideration greatly benefits seniors.

Sightseeing and touring popular tourist spots often involve hotel accommodations, which are fundamental to the tourism industry. Unfortunately, hotels typically do not offer concession rates for seniors.

Since this constitutes the bulk of travel expenses, many senior citizens choose not to travel.

During my time in the civil service, some hotels used to offer concession rates for government servants, which were cheaper than the rack rates. I am not sure if this still applies to government servants today.

Hopefully, hotels and resorts will offer concession rates for seniors during off-peak seasons. This will encourage more seniors to travel within the country and make “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia” truly meaningful for all age groups.

These days, I only see the young and vibrant travelling to holiday destinations because they have the energy, resources and passion.

Entrance tickets to tourist spots often offer discounts for senior citizens. Now, we need to extend concessions to the aspects of “getting there” and “staying there” as well.

Samuel Yesuiah

Seremban