Tan Ka Leong, group managing director of CBRE | WTW, noted that active launches since 2024 are predominantly strata-titled, comprising serviced apartments and commercial units tailored for tourism, short-stay rentals, and lifestyle-orientated ownership.
"Genting Highlands continues to evolve as a tourism-centric property market, with development activity closely aligned to hospitality and leisure demand. The predominance of serviced apartments and stratified commercial units reflects this ecosystem," Tan told Business Times.
Among the major developments is Breeze Hill Shoppes and Service Apartments by Tropicana Corp Bhd, launched in 2025. The project offers 1,722 serviced apartment units ranging from 430 sq ft to 976 sq ft, priced from RM400,000, alongside 90 retail shop units from 959 sq ft to 3,470 sq ft, with prices starting at RM1.1 million. The development underscores the trend of integrating lifestyle-focused retail within residential projects.
Genting Xintiandi, a 2025 joint venture between Aset Kayamas Group and Genting Malaysia Bhd, features 2,600 serviced apartments in its first phase (454–973 sq ft, from RM422,000) alongside 268 stratified shoplots (22 ft × 63 ft to 24 ft × 74 ft, from RM2.9 million), positioning it as a large-scale tourism-linked urban hub.
Meanwhile, Bayu Hill in Rimbawan by LBS Bina Group Bhd, launched in 2024, comprises 642 apartment units sized 500–1,067 sq ft, with prices starting at RM501,900, catering to buyers seeking affordable, well-located homes in emerging highland townships.
Tan said these launches highlight key market trends, including the rise of compact urban living, the integration of commercial elements into residential projects, and sustained demand for properties in growth corridors driven by connectivity and lifestyle amenities.
"Purchasers in Genting Highlands are typically lifestyle-driven buyers acquiring holiday homes, investors seeking short-term rental income, or long-term holders capitalising on the area's established tourism fundamentals. In this context, minor mobility-related costs are unlikely to materially influence purchasing decisions, particularly for stratified residential units located within established resort precincts.
Regarding the proposed one-time vehicle entry fee for Genting Highlands, Tan noted that while casual day-trippers might be slightly price-sensitive, core visitors, including overnight guests and tourists with pre-planned trips, are largely experience-driven.
"Should the proposed vehicle charge contribute towards improved road quality, enhanced safety measures and more effective traffic dispersion and congestion management, the longer-term implications may in fact be positive. Such improvements would enhance overall accessibility and visitor experience, thereby benefiting property owners, commercial operators and hospitality stakeholders alike," he said.
On the potential impact of the fee on tourism, Tan said the proposed vehicle charges are intended to support ongoing maintenance, enhance safety, and improve traffic management along the mountain access road.
"At this juncture, key implementation details, including the exact quantum of the fee, commencement timeline and potential exemptions, remain pending. As such, a definitive assessment of the overall implications would be premature.
"Based on current understanding, a modest vehicle charge is unlikely to significantly deter core visitors, particularly tourists with pre-planned trips, overnight guests and patrons of major resort attractions," he said.
However, he said that casual day-trippers may exhibit some degree of price sensitivity should the charge be set at a higher level.
"Any impact in this segment would likely relate to spontaneous or short-duration visits rather than extended stays. Given Genting Highlands' established positioning as an integrated resort destination, visitor demand tends to be experience-driven rather than purely cost-driven," he said.
Cameron Highlands Property Driven by Tourism and Local Demand
Tan noted that residential property prices in Cameron Highlands remain resilient across both landed and strata segments, supported by steady demand and evolving buyer preferences.
Landed homes are firmly positioned in the mid- to upper-range bracket, with double-storey terraced houses typically valued between RM800,000 and RM850,000. Larger, premium offerings, such as double- or 2.5-storey semi-detached homes, command higher prices, generally ranging from RM1.3 million to RM1.5 million, appealing to upgrader buyers seeking more space and exclusivity.
In the strata segment, condominiums continue to attract urban dwellers and investors, with average prices around RM500 per square foot. Flats provide the most affordable entry point into the market, with values estimated at approximately RM280 per square foot, catering mainly to first-time buyers and lower-income households.
"Overall, the pricing landscape highlights a clear segmentation in the residential market, with affordability, location, and property type continuing to shape buyer demand," he said.
Tan explained that the Cameron Highlands property market often evolves alongside its tourism-driven ecosystem. At the same time, local residents—predominantly engaged in agriculture—also contribute to demand for residential, agricultural, and industrial properties.
"Cameron Highlands is situated at an elevated terrain where the degree of slopes varies accordingly. This will make the benchmarking in terms of property values difficult, especially for agricultural properties, as steepness of the land will have an immediate impact on the property values directly," he said.
On industrial premises, Tan said that based on the available market information, the availability of the industrial premises is scarce and limited and mostly individually designed in the Cameron Highlands.
"Thus, the values will adjust accordingly to factors such as location, accessibility, type of the industrial premises, tenure, building specification and other factors deemed applicable," he said.
Meanwhile, the hospitality sector in Cameron Highlands is diverse, encompassing hotels, budget hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments, resorts, homestays, and glamping/camping sites.
High-rise residential areas are developed and retained to be operated as lodging accommodation. Based on our observations, we also noticed glamping/camping sites are gaining traction within the tourism sector among tourists, as they offer special and niche dwelling experiences rather than just offering conventional staying experiences to their clients.
"Room rates across the lodging accommodations in general fall within the range of RM250 per night to RM450 per night, depending on type of accommodation and facilities," Tan said.
Tan concluded that the overall outlook for Cameron Highlands is positive, particularly for sectors closely linked to tourism, including commercial, retail, and hospitality, as the region continues to benefit from its strong reputation as a premier tourist destination.
Sources: https://www.nst.com.my/property/2026/03/1402657/genting-and-cameron-highland-property-market-shows-resilience

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