PENANG is well-positioned to benefit from shifting global travel trends and the extension of the Visit Malaysia campaign through 2027, says state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai.
He said the Federal Government’s decision to extend Visit Malaysia Year 2026 until the end of 2027 was timely and strategically significant amid global uncertainties.
“We firmly believe that this decision carries both forward-looking vision and strategic significance, particularly amid today’s volatile global landscape,” he said when opening Matta Fair Penang 2026 at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) today.
Wong said the longer campaign period would provide breathing space and flexibility for tourism players to navigate geopolitical uncertainties while preparing for stronger growth when market confidence improves.
“Penang will be well-positioned to accelerate growth and fully capitalise on the tourism dividend, transforming challenges into opportunities and pressures into momentum for further advancement,” he added.
He said 2027 is expected to bring a new wave of tourism momentum, with more hotel openings and new tourism products entering the market.
“These developments will further strengthen and enhance Penang’s attractiveness as a regional tourism hub,” he said.
Wong said newly completed hotels would cater to different segments of travellers, including business visitors, families and high-end leisure tourists.
He added that Penang was also focusing on sustainable and diversified tourism offerings to encourage deeper visitor experiences and repeat arrivals.
On changing travel behaviour, Wong mentioned travellers were becoming more cautious about long-haul journeys and increasingly choosing safer, stable and well-connected destinations.
“In this evolving landscape, the ability to seize emerging opportunities and tap into new source markets has become a critical priority for the tourism industry,” he said.
He said Penang had proactively adopted a diversified source market strategy to reduce reliance on any single market and strengthen resilience.
Wong said Penang had expanded its air connectivity in 2026 with new direct routes to Qingdao and Chongqing in China, while frequencies to Shanghai and Guangzhou had also increased.
He added that the Kunming-Penang charter service, launched in late October last year, had been increased to three flights weekly since March this year.
Looking beyond Asia, Wong said the state was also exploring new European markets, including efforts to establish a winter charter flight between Poland and Penang by year-end.
“Once implemented, this initiative will attract winter travellers from colder regions during the off-peak season, thereby further balancing Penang’s year-round tourism structure,” he said.
Among those attended the event were Matta president Nigel Wong, Matta Penang chapter chairman Carolyn Leong, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) director Dr Annuar Mohamed, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region director Abdul Hadi Che Man, Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, and Consul General of China in Penang Zhou Youbin.
Story by Edmund Lee