But given that Sepang sits well outside the main tourist hub of Kuala Lumpur – about a 1.5-hour drive from the city centre – analysts urged organisers to package tickets with accommodation, shopping, cultural attractions and domestic tours to extend visitors’ stays, with benefits shared across surrounding communities.
A well-rounded experience that generates significant interest could put Malaysia in contention for a permanent spot on the Formula One calendar again, observers said, and even if this does not happen, international fans would be enticed to return to Malaysia for a holiday.
Jake Abdullah, who runs marketing agency Malaysian Dynamic Media, said he believes international visitors who have not been to Malaysia will “come for the cars and leave talking about the food”.
“My honest belief is that a serious percentage of them will come back, and next time they bring people and they stay longer,” he told CNA.
“That is the part I would want Tourism Malaysia obsessed with. Formula One is not just an event. For three days it is the cheapest and most powerful marketing tool this country has ever been handed, and somebody else paid for the media buy.”
INCREASING INTEREST, BUT ROADBLOCKS AHEAD
There are already signs of increasing interest in the race.
On Sunday, a post on the Instagram page bojomalaysia, which gives suggestions on dining and activities in Malaysia, talked about a queue already forming for tickets when official details have not been released. The post attracted more than 7,000 “likes” and 5,000 shares, even as commenters were sceptical about the content.
Most of the chatter on Formula One social media groups in Singapore and Malaysia that CNA monitored focused on people rushing to secure accommodation near Sepang even before tickets go on sale.
Checks by CNA on the websites of three hotels close to the Sepang circuit show they are fully booked from Oct 1 to Oct 5. A hotel located near KLIA that was available on those dates quoted almost RM1,000 for a single room per night, four times its normal rate.
“What worries me is pricing. Triple your rates for four nights and we win the weekend but lose the reputation. A guest who feels cheated tells the internet, and the internet is not forgiving,” Jake said.
“Package it, please. Anyone can raise a room rate. Almost nobody will bundle three nights with transport, food and something local worth remembering, then sell it to a fan who has never set foot here. That is where the margin is.”