THE Penang tourism industry is gaining momentum, with the strong return of international travellers to the state.
Penang Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the flight frequencies from Singapore, Indonesia (Medan) and Thailand (Bangkok) to the Penang International Airport (PIA) were among the highest recorded recently.
“We have 52 flights from Singapore per week, which include from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Jetstar, Tigerair, and Singapore Airlines.
“There are also 21 flights from Medan, Indonesia, to Penang per week. The flights are from AirAsia, Lion Air and Citilink.
“Meanwhile, there are seven flights from Thai Smile and 10 from AirAsia which fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Penang,” Yeoh told a media conference at the PIA today.
Yeoh said he was excited about the strong recovery of the state’s tourism industry.
“We are having talks with airlines from Hong Kong, India, and countries in the Middle East,” he said.
Yeoh said the PIA’s total passenger movement (arrival only) in June this year was 324,509 passengers.
Domestic passenger movement (arrival only) was 265,956 passengers while international was 58,553 passengers in June.
“The streets of Penang have seen an influx of international travellers since the reopening of Malaysia’s international borders.
“My office and Penang Global Tourism (PGT) have been working relentlessly with Tourism Malaysia, our partners and industry players to ensure the sustainability of the industry.
“We have taken various initiatives to boost domestic and international tourism.
“The re-embarking of global advertising campaigns, by leveraging ‘Welcome to Penang’, has been highly elevated using digital marketing. Promotions and deals are curated exclusively for travellers.
“We have hosted virtual travel fairs catering to travellers from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Mediterranean and Oceania regions,” he said.
Yeoh added that the state’s charm was also brought to the Expo 2020 Dubai, early this year, when the welcoming video, featuring Penang tourism ambassador Datuk Nicol David, was presented during the launch of the Penang Week then. The Penang Week was launched by Penang Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.
“Apart from that, we have taken part in Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Roadshow in South Korea, and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council in Surabaya to increase the state’s exposure on the global stage,” he said.
He said Penang continues to be one of the preferred destinations for international travellers.
“We will strive to position Penang as one of the top tourism destinations on the global stage. We will not be contented by the numbers and will work harder,” he said.
Also present were PGT chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (Motac) Penang director Jonathan Freddy Bagang, Malaysian Association of Hotel (MAH) Penang chapter chairman Tony Goh and Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Penang Chapter chairman Vergis Mathew and AirAsia government relations manager (northern region) Kenneth Tan.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Law Suun Ting