Indonesia and Malaysia share so many similarities, like language and proximity. It’s almost no surprise then that Malaysia is the destination of choice for many Indonesian travellers!
Based on our data from 2018, Indonesia Grab users booked 70% of their overseas rides in Malaysia. In comparison, they only booked two out of 10 overseas rides in Singapore, the next most popular destination.
The findings are part of a broader trend that see Southeast Asians travelling more than ever, many of them within the region. According to the ASEAN Secretariat, intra-ASEAN travellers in 2015 already made up 42 per cent of the region’s overall tourist numbers. The intra-Southeast Asian traveller segment today accounts for over 37 million trips, according to Grab market research data.
That’s all of you – all travelling for work and play. So, to cater to Southeast Asia’s road warriors, frequent travellers and savvy trippers, Grab is launching a new suite of travel benefits for Grab Platinum, Gold and Silver users travelling across the region. The programme has signed up more than 150 partners in all of the major airports across Southeast Asia including including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Benefits and deals include access to close to 70 lounges in the region, at rates of up to 55% off, and discounts of up to 20% at over 80 F&B partners.
In Indonesia, Grab users who are waiting for their flights can relax at the Plaza Premium Lounge in International Departures, Terminal 3 Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta or Concordia Lounge across different cities. They can also enjoy discounts at La Place (Bali airport) and Costa Coffee (Jakarta airport).
We launched this based on insights gained from six years of serving travellers in the region, and learning about what you’re like. What else did we learn? Read on:
When Indonesians go travelling…
They are mostly going to Malaysia! And they head for Penang, the country’s top destination for medical tourists. In fact, the top pick-up point for Indonesians in Malaysia was Island Hospital in Penang.
In 2017, Indonesians made up 60% of the one million medical tourists who visited Malaysia. According to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, Malaysia is targeting to attract at least one million health tourists from Indonesia by 2020.
And in Singapore, the next most popular country for Indonesian travellers, the top pick-up point for them was Paragon Shopping Centre, which is also frequented by visitors to the Paragon Medical Centre.
Where do Indonesia Grab users visit when they travel? Which are the top pick-up points for tourists in Indonesia? Explore these and more in our interactive map.
When travellers come to Indonesia
Last year, Indonesia welcomed 15.8 million tourists, with Malaysia and Singapore among the top three countries. Of the Grab bookings made by travellers in Indonesia, more than half were by Malaysia users and almost a third by Singaporeans.
For visitors to Indonesia, the main airports in Jakarta and Bali were the top pick-up points for all countries. Grand Indonesia Mall in Jakarta was also the most popular shopping destination for visitors from all Southeast Asia countries, except for Myanmar and Singapore. The Myanmarese preferred Dunia Sutra Shopping Mall in Bali while Singaporeans headed to Nagoya Hill in Batam.
Grab has also partnered with the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia to offer “Smart Tourism” initiatives to provide a better travel experience for tourists. For example, tourists can Rent-a-GrabCar if they prefer to book a car for a few hours, so they can travel to and from famous tourist destinations, with the GrabChat feature reducing any language barriers by automatically translating messages sent between users and driver partners. Selected Rent-a-GrabCar drivers are also trained and certified to be tour guides.
Making it easy to travel in the region
Southeast Asia is charming, colourful and diverse but it’s not exactly easy navigating the different languages, currencies and infrastructure. And it hits you most when you first arrive in a foreign land.
For travellers like Johan Tandoko, a marketing practitioner who travels frequently, having just one Grab app that can be used across the cities is immensely helpful.
“I use Grab across Southeast Asia so I don’t have to download a new app for each country. Plus I get GrabReward points for every ride,” he added.
The app localises automatically with the correct maps and rates in local currency, all in the local language. It even shows you what services are available in that city. For example, you can try GrabRemorque in Cambodia, GrabBike in Jakarta, Grab Roddaeng in Thailand or GrabThoneBane in Myanmar.
Grab is now available in more than 336 cities across Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.