PENANG has received six international tourism accolades in the past six months, further strengthening its position as a leading tourism destination in the region.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai (PH-Paya Terubong) said the recognitions covered various sectors, including hospitality, island destinations, business tourism and air connectivity.
He said Penang had received a total of 41 international accolades over the past three years, reflecting the state’s growing appeal and competitiveness in the global tourism industry.
Among the latest achievements, Soori Penang was named one of the world’s most beautiful hotels in 2026 by Condé Nast Traveller, while Penang ranked fifth in the Best Islands in Asia Pacific 2026 list by Travel + Leisure.
“Penang was also the only city in Southeast Asia featured in National Geographic’s list of The Best Places in the World to Travel to in 2027,” he said.
Wong was speaking during his winding-up speech on tourism matters at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
He said another 15 hotels in Penang had been included in the Michelin Guide Hotel Selection 2026, with Soori Penang and Cheong Fatt Tze – The Qing Suites receiving the One Michelin Key recognition.
Penang was also listed among Asia’s Top 10 Holiday Destinations in the Smart Travel Asia 2026 Best in Travel Poll, while making its debut in the list of Asia’s Top 10 Meeting Cities.
In another achievement, Penang International Airport was named Asia Small/Medium Airport of the Year 2026 by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA).
Wong said the state would continue to strengthen its tourism offerings and explore new markets to sustain the industry’s growth.
On medical tourism, he said Penang received 285,400 medical tourists in the first six months of 2026, generating RM601.8mil in revenue, based on figures from the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.
He said the revenue was about 5.6 times higher than Johor’s RM106.8mil during the same period.
“Malaysia also ranked sixth globally among the Top 50 Best Medical Tourism Destinations in the World for 2026, with Penang taking the top spot nationally,” he said.
However, he cautioned that Penang faced growing competition from regional countries, including Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.
The state was therefore looking to explore new markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Indochina to diversify its sources of medical tourists.
Wong also highlighted the need to improve Penang’s air connectivity and airport infrastructure to support the growing tourism industry.
He said Penang International Airport handled 8.31 million passenger movements in 2025, exceeding its original annual capacity of 6.8 million passengers.
The ongoing airport expansion project is expected to increase its capacity to 12 million passengers annually upon completion.
He said the airport was currently facing several operational constraints, including insufficient check-in counters, aircraft parking bays and its single runway.
“We hope the airport expansion project can be completed as soon as possible to ensure that our aviation infrastructure keeps pace with the growth of the tourism, trade and economy sectors,” he said.
Story by Edmund Lee