Penang tourism bounces back strong since the reopening of international borders after a series of initiatives and campaigns taken in domestic and international platforms. The city of Penang is seen buzzing with tourists again since April 2022 as a result of these initiatives and campaigns. During the press conference held at Penang International Airport today, the Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Yeoh Soon Hin begins his statement by expressing his excitement in the recent return vitality of Penang tourism activities.

Multiple initiatives have been implemented on the both domestic and international stages since the outbreak of Covid-19 during the past 2 years by Yeoh, along with PETACE office and Penang Global Tourism team to ensure the sustainability of the industry which is in line with the Penang Tourism Master Plan 2021-2030 to inject new impetus to the industry and elevating Penang’s position as the preferred destination through sustainable tourism development.

Reigniting of marketing strategies catering to the global market have been in place since 2020 while numerous campaigns and initiatives are in place to boost domestic tourism. “The re-embarking of global advertising campaigns by leveraging “Welcome to Penang” has been highly elevated through the use of digital marketing scheme with promotions and deals curated exclusively for the travellers through tactical campaigns and joint promotions. We also utilized digital marketing schemes such as social media platforms to trigger engagements from social media users.” Said Yeoh.

Virtual travel fairs catering to travellers from Asia, Europe, Middle East, Mediterranean and Oceania regions were also being implemented. Fulfilling to the needs of B2B players, virtual Tourism EXPO and webinars were organized to serve as alternate passages for industry players and agencies to exchange information and understand the trend of the tourism industry.

“The charm of Penang was also brought to Dubai World EXPO by presenting a welcoming video starring the newly appointed Penang Tourism Ambassador, Datuk Nicol David, which was launched together with Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi bin Haji Abdul Razak, in hope to amaze the visitors with Penang’s fascinating attractions and the warmest hospitality,” Yeoh emphasized.

Participation in overseas tradeshows such as Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Roadshow in Korea and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council in Surabaya have effectively increased the exposure of Penang on the global stage.

Demonstrating Penang’s true hospitality, familiarization trips through smart partnerships with Tourism Malaysia and local industry players provide opportunities for participants to experience the latest activities and attractions by themselves here in Penang and at the same time, letting them to have a better understanding of the diverse tourism products that Penang has to offer.
The initiatives and campaigns are revealing their effectiveness with the drastic incline of direct flights and passengers’ movement into Penang since the reopening of international borders. “The number of international direct flights has increased from 12 weekly flights in January 2022 to 106 weekly flights in July 2022, increasing by 783%, whereas the number of arriving international passengers has increased from 1,453 in January to 58,553 in June this year.” As reported by Yeoh. 

The fact of Penang remaining as one of the preferred destinations opted by international travellers is clearly demonstrated in the inclining numbers and this also let Penang airport have the highest number of international direct flights after Kuala Lumpur International Airports (KLIA). Yeoh continued his statement by expressing his determination to continue to drive the effort of strengthening Penang as one of the top tourism destinations at the global stage.

Before ending his statement, Yeoh also expressed his gratitude towards our partners, airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies, associations of the travel industry, and Tourism Malaysia in their support to promote Penang as the next best destination to visit, in the hope to continue to enhance Penang’s position as a world-renowned destination.

Also present at the press conference were Mr. Ooi Chok Yan, the Chief Executive Officer for Penang Global Tourism and representatives for respective airlines and associations.