By Calysta Madeliene & Hardip Singh Rekhraj
The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected Malaysia’s tourism industry, causing numerous tourism personnel to be made redundant. Tourism contributes significantly to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 12.8 per cent valued at RM197.9 billion in 2021. Therefore in January 2021, childhood friends and co-founders, Ridhwan Ramli, Eskandar Zulkarnain, and Althaqif Alsagaf established GoWaus, Malaysia’s first online travel agency with the purpose of providing affordable travel to desired destinations in Malaysia.
In March 2021, they launched their minor travel platform hoping to assist in the recovery of the tourism industry. GoWaus’ objective is to make accommodation and travel activities affordable in Malaysia through the startup’s service, PayLater. The service offers customers the freedom to travel to their desired destinations and pay after their vacation through means of an instalment based payment method. Due to the devastating aftermath of the post-pandemic economy, this concept allows travel junkies, backpackers, and low to middle income families to fulfil their travel needs without burning a hole in their pocket.
“We want travellers not to feel heavy about the costs they have to spend on vacations. Besides that, we also want to promote intercity travel in Malaysia. It is hoped that the productivity of the tourism industry in Malaysia will continue to increase significantly,” commented CEO of GoWaus, Eskandar.
The travel startup was established to remind and bring Malaysians closer to the many hidden gems spanning our nation. They pride themselves in their patriotism reflected on their logo; a traditional Malaysian ‘Wau-bulan’ kite with colours mirroring the country’s Jalur Gemilang. Similarly, ‘GoWaus’ represents, “World and Us,” and derives from a combination of the words ‘Wau’ and their registered name, “World and Us Tourism Sdn Bhd.”
Fulfil Your Style of Living
Travel enthusiasts taking a gap year to fulfil their destination bucket list, or spontaneous backpackers voyaging from one tourist spot to the next, and young families making lifelong memories with their infants are rejoicing as they are now able to fulfil their style of living. GoWaus conveniently recommends carefully screened quality places of interest and attractive accommodation for social media postings. Furthermore, customers can sleep easy knowing that the selected destinations are licensed with local authorities. Travelling to new destinations with hidden gems builds priceless memories, and GoWaus has made that price less.
Browse GoWaus to find the best deal for tour activities
What Lies Ahead for GoWaus
With numerous destinations, accommodation, and activities recommended, GoWaus’ goals do not finish there. Future services include TravelBuddy, a feature in which customers hire locals to accompany them on their travels. Experienced locals assimilate customers into Malaysia’s deep rooted cultures, educate them on a wide range of cuisines, and entrench them into hidden locations not many tourists are aware of. GoWaus hopes this symbiotic relationship attracts customers who want to get their money’s worth and increases tourism revenue for the hired locals.
“As a technology company, GoWaus understands the dynamic needs of consumers, and sees that convenience and budget are a crucial aspect for consumers in planning trips,” expressed Eskandar Zulkarnain.
This article is contributed by Venturous PR, a student-led communications agency from Taylor’s University, School of Media & Communication (SOMAC). As an entrepreneurial sandbox for senior PR undergraduates, Venturous PR strives to make innovative communication solutions accessible to Startups and SMEs. The project is part of BusinessToday’s social engagement initiative with PR students to promote ethical journalism. This Startup is part of MDEC’s Malaysia Digital Hub Community, which provides impactful intervention to facilitate growth of local tech companies.
