THE Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) has actively been exploring the Indian tourism market, and have implemented a range of strategies to strengthen Penang’s position as a preferred destination for tourism and business events among Indian travellers.
These include consistent destination promotion, easing entry processes, and forging partnerships with Indigo Airlines, business chambers, travel associations, and major tourism platforms in India.
“The Penang Roadshow to India (PRTI) has previously been held across five Indian cities to connect Penang tourism players with Indian travel agents, as well as new direct flights, the Indigo Airlines which launched direct Chennai-Penang flights in December 2024, backed by promotions in Chennai and Madurai.
“Then, we also have promotional videos, where Indigo released a Penang destination video; a Tamil-English version featuring a popular Malaysian artist is underway,” Wong Hon Wai (PH – Paya Terubong) said in his answer responding to an oral question by Kumaran Krishnan (PH – Bagan Dalam) during the State Legislative Assembly Sitting at the State Assembly Building at Light Street today.
He also stated other initiatives, such as the agent training and familiarisation trips, strategic partnerships where Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), Tamil Nadu sales mission, and the media and marketing support.
Elaborating further, Wong said since the launch of the direct Chennai–Penang flight, Penang has seen a remarkable increase in visitors from India.
“In 2023 and 2024, India was not among the top 10 countries for arrivals via Penang International Airport (PIA).
“However, from January to March 2025, India climbed to 8th place.
“Visitor numbers jumped from 2,417 in Q1 2024 to 5,045 in Q1 2025, an increase of 108.73%.
“This is an encouraging sign, and I believe with more strategic incentives and marketing efforts planned for the rest of the year, we can further boost these numbers,” Wong added.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis