GEORGE TOWN, November 23 — The first half of 2023 has seen an impressive uptick in tourist arrivals in Penang, witnessing a substantial surge of 138.37% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Wong Hon Wai, Chairman of the Tourism and Creative Economy Committee, revealed to the Penang Legislative Assembly that the state welcomed a total of 1,682,094 tourists in the initial six months of 2023 alone. This marked a significant rise from the 705,670 tourist arrivals recorded during the same period in the preceding year.
Wong attributed this notable growth to various factors, including the introduction of more direct flights to Penang. He highlighted new routes such as those to Xiamen by Xiamen Airlines, to Doha by Qatar Airlines, and to Bangkok by Firefly. In response to inquiries from Assemblyman Heng Lee Lee, Wong also announced plans for additional direct flights in the near future. Among these plans is the introduction of a direct flight to Dubai by Flydubai Airlines scheduled for February next year. Expressing his gratitude later during the session, Wong underscored Penang’s consistent growth in tourism, citing a total of 5.59 million tourists in 2022 compared to 4.26 million in 2021.
