FOR Penang to reposition itself as a major tourist destination, our government will encourage more innovative tourism products.
“With better-managed attractions, Penang will received greater tourist satisfaction, more positive reviews, increased demands for accommodation, and a vibrant, competitive tourism industry for Penang.
“We have also seen a shift in the Penang’s economy as the service sector has overtaken manufacturing as the top contributor to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, even though the manufacturing industry has been in the lead for the past 30 to 40 years,” exco for Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts, Yeoh Soon Hin said when launching the International High Dive Show at Escape on November 17.
Also present were exco for Domestic and International Trade, Consumer Affairs and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, director of Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Penang, and chief escape officer of Sim Leisure Escape Sdn Bhd, Sim Choo Kheng.
Visitors and guests present at the launch were treated to a High Dive and Banana Flip challenge where some 20 competitors took part.
Yeoh extended his congratulations to ESCAPE for accomplishing another milestone – putting together a work-class event for Penang.ESCAPE features it’s high dive show with it’s own stunt team.
“I was made to understand that the high dive show is a permanent highlight of ESCAPE as intended from the beginning.
“This is the only theme park in the world with a permanent 25m diving platform with a 5 meter deep pool,” commented Yeoh, adding that the involvement of tourism players and private sectors have become more important now to set Penang different from the rest and make the city more attractive as a tourism destination to move the economy.
Meanwhile, Sim said 2012 ESCAPE has since evolved into a successful brand, an ongoing venture with newer and better attractions on the way.
“Eventually ESCAPE will cover 44 acres, making it a theme park with the most fun activities which will require a three full days to experience all the fun games, ” he said, adding that visitors to the theme park will be able to enjoy it’s latest attraction – ‘Gravity Play’, come March 2019.
” ‘Gravity Play’ which is existingly about 50 percent completed cost some RM50 million for it’s set up,” he added.
Story by Danny Ooi
Pix by Nur Afiqah Zainudi