The ultimate aim of the Roadshow is to open direct connectivity to ease travel. Some of the local Indian airlines have expressed their interest in expanding into Penang after attending last year’s Roadshow. The PCEB team along with YB Yeoh Soon Hin, the State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy had a meeting with a few of the airlines to discuss the direct flight connectivity options between Penang and the key cities in India.. Travel restrictions too have been lifted and at present, a double vaccination certificate is required. There is no need for an RT-PCR Test or quarantine. They are also providing Visa on arrival.
Here is what YB Yeoh Soon Hin, the State Executive Councillor for Tourism & Creative Economy had to say –
What was the survival strategy during the pandemic and what steps are being taken to achieve the pre-pandemic numbers?
During the pandemic, we had come up with a ‘zero-interest’ loan as a support for the businesses to ease their cash flow. We have given monetary assistance to vulnerable groups like the hawkers, F&B etc. We have also waived off the licensing fees and business rents to those operating their business on the state-owned property. We have helped these businesses sustain themselves during the pandemic. After the pandemic, we have come up with a marketing plan to promote and provide incentives to encourage travellers to come to Penang in the form of vouchers, and coupons to avail discounts which is a good strategy to boost the business. The results have shown that Penang has ranked number one in terms of domestic tourists coming from Malaysia. Since the opening of International borders, we have had a good number of tourists coming from Thailand, Singapore etc. But our dream is to get tourists from beyond South-east Asia too. India is a potential market for us and we are continuing our efforts to get more Indian tourists.
How important is India to you as a market?
I have noticed that Indians like staying for one week in one particular destination, so their spending power is that. It is a good strategy for us to entice Indian tourists to Penang. The distance from India to Penang is not too long. Also, the costs are comparatively lesser as compared to Europe. We would like to be the preferred destination for Indian tourists.
With India ranking among the top five countries in terms of tourists visiting Penang, Ashwin Gunasekaran, the Chief Executive Officer of Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau stated that India is a significant market for business and leisure trips and that they are strategizing a series of plans to reach the milestone set before the pandemic. “PCEB’s dedication has not wavered, and our team is dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial relationships and working closely with the Indian community. The establishment of a direct flight between India and Penang is one of the primary topics of conversation at the moment. We are already in discussion with airlines both in India and in Malaysia about the possibility of establishing additional direct flight routes between Penang and key cities in India,”. He also added, ”Penang has a complete range of Indian cuisine options which include Jain as well as vegetarian restaurants so that food is not a challenge for Indian travellers.”
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