The Penang State Tourism presented and launched its new tourism campaign, “Gorgeous Penang” at a destination seminar in Hong Kong held at Hotel Jen for 80 participants comprising local travel agents and media representatives. The Penang entourage was headed by YB Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State EXCO for Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts together with Mr Ooi Chok Yan, CEO of Penang Global Tourism. Joining the Penang delegation are hotel representatives – G Hotel, Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Hotel Equatorial; the attractions in Penang – The Habitat Penang Hill, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm; and a travel agency, Tong Yan Travel. This seminar took place on 17th August, just after the launch of two wholly wrapped trams on the “Gorgeous Penang” campaign.
“Gorgeous Penang” Tourism Campaign
The Penang State Tourism kick-started the “Gorgeous Penang” tourism campaign in March 2018. This campaign derived from our local slang word ‘cun’ that not only encompasses beauty but also elements of fun, amusement, excitement and satisfaction. The campaign aims to highlight all of Penang’s splendor to visitors locally and abroad where it will be undertaken till the year 2021.
The launch of the tourism campaign in Hong Kong focused on 6 key components featuring Penang’s new attractions, as follows.
1. The Gravityz – The World’s Highest Ropes Course Challenge
2. Rainbow Walk, at The Top – The World’s Highest Tower Curve Glass Bottom
3. Tech Dome Penang – The World’s First Free Standing Vertical Drop
4. Canopy Walk, at The Habitat – The World’s Highest Altitude Stressed Ribbon Bridge
5. Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm – The Tropical World’s First Butterfly and Insect Sanctuary
6. SPICE – The World’s First Hybrid Solar Powered Convention Centre
Hong Kong Tram Advertising
The Penang State Tourism has been undertaking outdoor advertising tourism campaigns via fully wrapped trams in Hong Kong since 2013 every year. The campaign is usually run for three to five months and it’s deemed effective playing the role of a moving billboard. Advertising via these trams reach more than 200,000 passengers daily comprising locals and foreign tourists where Hong Kong Tramways runs the largest double-deck tram fleet in the world.
This year, the Penang State Tourism commenced its tram advertising campaign on 15th June. The entire campaign entails wrapping of two trams for 20 weeks with one visual change after two months. The first two ads featured George Town Festival, Penang’s premier month-long arts festival and the other being a compilation of events and festivals that’s happening in the last quarter of the year.
Before the destination seminar, on 17th August morning, YB Yeoh Soon Hin launched the newly changed ads on both trams at the Whitty Street Tram Depot. The two new ads featured the three main components of Penang, i.e. Food, Heritage & Nature whereas the other solely showcased Penang’s new attractions with world unsurpassed titles, as highlighted earlier in this media release. The changed ads will run till the end of the campaign on 1st November 2018.
Direct Flights from Hong Kong to Penang by Cathay Dragon
The Cathay Pacific Group has had a long history in Malaysia, operating its first flight between Hong Kong and Penang in April 1977 where it continued to offer seamless worldwide connectivity via its Hong Kong hub. Subsequently, there was daily non-stop service between Hong Kong and Penang from 2011. In view of the continuous demand for the flights between Hong Kong and Penang, from July 2017, Cathay Dragon increased its flights to 12 times weekly all year round plus maintaining its 2 additional seasonal flights per week.
Event Photos & Captions:
Launch of two wholly wrapped trams for the “Gorgeous Penang” Tourism Campaign at Hong Kong’s Whitty Street Tram Depot.
From left: Mr Ooi Chok Yan (CEO of Penang Global Tourism), YB Yeoh Soon Hin (Penang State EXCO for Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture & Arts), YB Phee Boon Poh (Penang State EXCO for Environment, Welfare & Caring Society), Ms Rina Mariani (Director of Sales & Marketing of Equatorial Hotel), Mr Joseph Goh (CEO of Entopia) and Mr Reza Cockrell (Hong Kong-based Co-founder & Director of The Habitat Penang Hill)
Welcome speech by YB Yeoh Soon Hin to the Hong Kong travel agents and media who participated in the destination seminar held at Hong Kong’s Hotel Jen.
The representatives promoting Penang, included hoteliers from G Hotel, Hotel Equatorial; Penang attractions from The Habitat Penang Hill, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm; travel agency from Tong Yan Travel; as well as Hong Kong based reps from Shangri-La and Cathay Pacific. [Also present was, En Marhafizman Mohamad Daud, Deputy Director of Tourism Malaysia Hong Kong – standing, 6th from left]
YB Yeoh Soon Hin attending to questions from the Hong Kong Media during the destination seminar together with YB Phee Boon Poh and Mr Ooi Chok Yan