A TOTAL of 35,000 visitors are expected to visit the upcoming MATTA Fair Penang 2024 at Setia SPICE Arena and the Concourse area on April 27 and 28.
The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Penang Chapter chairman Carolyn Leong said she expects a sizeable crowd to explore the over 300 booths featuring various attractive domestic and international travel packages.
“We aim to achieve a total transaction volume of about RM40 million, compared to last year’s RM33 million.
“So far, we have secured 260 booths, and we expect more participants to fill the remaining spots.
“Our exhibitors represent a diverse spectrum of the travel industry, including airlines, domestic and international agents, hoteliers, cruise agents, associations, theme parks, wellness spas, and financial institutions.
“We will subsidise 50% of the booth price for local domestic industry players to promote the state’s travel.
“We aim to give back to the society from the proceeds gathered,” she said at a press conference today.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, who was present, said he looked forward to the annual travel fair.
Regarding the state’s tourism industry, he noted that the number of passenger arrivals at Penang International Airport (PIA) has surged.
Elaborating on the statistics, Wong revealed that the number of visitors to Penang through airlines increased by 26.93% in January and February this year, compared to the same period last year, rising from 454,839 visitors to 577,329 visitors.
“This increase can be due to the Chinese New Year celebration and the visa-free policy between Malaysia and China, which contributed significantly to the remarkable rise.
“The number of international flights in February this year reached 303, marking a 48.53% increase from 204 compared to the same period last year.
“On the cruise tourism front, our Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) welcomed a total of 131,208 passengers from January to February this year, compared to 100,803 passengers during the same period last year.
“Overall, Penang’s tourism industry is experiencing growth, and we hope the tourism industry players will continue with their hard work to attract more tourists to the state,” he said.
On the expansion of PIA, Wong said that once the project is completed, the airport would become the second largest airport in the country. It can cater to up to 12 million annual passengers capacity, almost doubling the current capacity of 6.5 million passengers.
Wong also announced that direct flights from Shanghai to Penang, and from Chennai to Penang, or vice-versa, would be launched this year.
Meanwhile, Wong highlighted that the zoning of a waiting area on the second floor of PIA would assist in managing the movement of passengers during peak times.
Among those present during the press conference were Penang Global Tourism (PGT) chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chairman Datuk Tony Goh, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region director Shahrul Aman Sabir Ahmad, and representatives from various airlines.
Story by Edmund Lee