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F1 weekend drives 160pc surge in accommodation searches for KL and Sepang

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — Malaysia is seeing a surge in travel interest ahead of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, with accommodation...

Malay MailMalay Mail2026-10-01 08:52查看原文 ↗

Ahead of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia is experiencing a significant increase in travel interest, with accommodation searches in Kuala Lumpur, Sepang, and surrounding areas rising over 160% year-on-year for the event weekend.

Airbnb's regional head, Amanpreet Bajaj, emphasized that major sporting events continue to drive tourism and economic activity by shaping travel plans around experiences.

The surge in searches, largely from international visitors, indicates a growing trend of travellers extending their stays beyond the race weekend to explore the region, with Kuala Lumpur as the primary accommodation base.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — Malaysia is seeing a surge in travel interest ahead of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, with accommodation searches for Kuala Lumpur, Sepang and surrounding areas jumping more than 160 per cent year-on-year for the October 2 to 4 race weekend.

Airbnb country head for India and South-east Asia Amanpreet Bajaj said the surge highlights how major sporting events continue to serve as key drivers of tourism and economic activity.

“Travel today is increasingly shaped by experiences. People are making plans around concerts, festivals, sporting events and other occasions that bring communities together, and these experiences can create new opportunities for destinations to welcome visitors.

“From Kuala Lumpur’s vibrant city experiences to local attractions, Airbnb gives travellers the flexibility to plan a stay around the experiences, whether that means making a weekend of it or exploring more of the destination beyond the events,” he said in a statement yesterday.

According to data released by the platform, the sharp increase was driven mainly by international travellers from Singapore, China, Indonesia, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, who accounted for approximately 75 per cent of total searches.

Within the surrounding areas, Kuala Lumpur accounted for more than 60 per cent of searches, followed by Sepang at nearly 25 per cent, alongside Petaling and Hulu Langat.

The statement noted that while travellers are looking towards Sepang and neighbouring areas for accommodation closer to the circuit and the airport, Kuala Lumpur remains the primary base for visitors.

The data also revealed that about 80 per cent of searches extended beyond the race weekend, with the median intended length of stay reaching nearly six nights.

Trips involving two guests accounted for more than one-third of searches, while bookings involving two or more guests made up close to seven in 10. — Bernama

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在雪邦国际赛道举行的F1海湾航空巴林大奖赛之前，马来西亚的旅游热度显著上升，吉隆坡、雪邦及周边地区的住宿搜索量在赛事周末期间同比增长超过160%。

Airbnb 区域负责人 Amanpreet Bajaj 强调，大型体育赛事通过围绕体验来塑造旅行计划，继续推动旅游业和经济活动。

搜索量的激增，主要来自国际游客，表明越来越多的旅行者选择在比赛周末之后继续停留，探索该地区，而吉隆坡是主要的住宿基地。

吉隆坡，10 月 1 日讯——随着一级方程式海湾航空巴林大奖赛在雪邦国际赛道举行，马来西亚的旅游热潮涌动，10 月 2 日至 4 日比赛周末期间，吉隆坡、雪邦及周边地区的住宿搜索量同比增长超过 160%。

Airbnb 印度和东南亚地区负责人 Amanpreet Bajaj 表示，此次激增凸显了大型体育赛事如何继续成为旅游和经济活动的关键驱动力。

“如今的旅行越来越受体验的影响。人们围绕着音乐会、节日、体育赛事和其他能将社区凝聚在一起的活动来制定计划，而这些体验可以为目的地创造新的机会来迎接游客。”

“从吉隆坡充满活力的城市体验到当地景点，Airbnb 让旅行者可以灵活地围绕这些体验来规划住宿，无论是周末短途旅行还是探索活动之外的更多目的地，”他昨天在一份声明中表示。

根据该平台发布的数据，搜索量的急剧增长主要由来自新加坡、中国、印度尼西亚、澳大利亚、英国和美国的国际旅行者推动，他们约占总搜索量的 75%。

在周边地区，吉隆坡的搜索量占比超过 60%，其次是雪邦，占比接近 25%，还有八打灵和乌鲁冷岳。