Penang State Exco Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Wong Hon Wai, led a Penang government delegation, accompanied by representatives from the Penang tourism industry, to Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.
Together with Xiamen Airlines, they conducted a tourism promotion roadshow with the theme “In Love With Penang”, showcasing Penang’s unique multicultural charm and tourism offerings to the city of Xiamen, further expanding the outbound tourism market from Xiamen.
Speaking at the roadshow, Wong Hon Wai said, “Since the introduction of the Xiamen – Penang direct route in 28 Sep 2023 until 15 March 2026, Xiamen Airlines has operated 1,526 round-trip flights, carrying a total of 220,000 passengers with an average load factor of 85%. This underscores the steady and robust travel demand between Fujian and Penang. The route has also generated over RM100 million in economic impact for Penang, benefiting key sectors including hospitality, transportation, food and beverage, services, and retail”.
“Xiamen and Penang share deep-rooted ties and longstanding friendship. George Town and Xiamen have been sister cities for over 30 years, and maintain close links in terms of historical heritage, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people interactions.”
“For travellers from Xiamen and the wider Fujian region, Penang is a truly unique tourism destination. While preserving the rich heritage of culture, Penang also embraces Malay, Chinese, Indian and Baba Nyonya cultural elements. Its historic buildings, cultural experiences, and authentic local cuisine are intertwined, vibrant, and diverse. This combination makes Penang both familiar and welcoming to visitors from Fujian, yet also offers them a fresh and distinctive travel experience.”
“China has always been a key tourism market for Penang, with Xiamen serving as an important gateway for China tourists to visit the city. As the tourism market gradually recovers, air connectivity between the two cities has become increasingly frequent, convenient, and efficient.” he said.
Highlighting the role of Xiamen Airlines, Wong said “Since the introduction of the Xiamen-Penang direct flights on 28 September 2023, the weekly flight frequency has increased from 3 flights per week to daily operations, providing a more convenient option for travellers between Penang and Xiamen. Notably, this direct route not only attracts passengers from Xiamen, but also serving travellers from surrounding cities such as Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and indeed from across Fujian Province.”
“Given this, the Penang state government will continue to work closely with Xiamen Airlines to further strengthen cultural and tourism exchanges between Penang and Xiamen,” Wong added.
The Penang tourism delegation comprised representatives from 14 entities, spanning tourism attractions, hotels, travel agencies, shopping centers, educational institutions and the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program.
The roadshow featured a Business-to-Business (B2B) session, allowing Penang tourism players to engage directly with counterparts from the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Xiamen Tourism Association, Xiamen Airlines, and local travel agencies, fostering meaningful partnerships and collaboration.”
“In conjunction with the 2026 Visit Malaysia Year, Penang Global Tourism has launched a new tourism promotion video titled “In Love With Penang”, with the tagline ‘Heartfelt Moments Begin Now.’ The video highlights Penang’s unique appeal such as the historic charm of George Town, the city’s multicultural daily life, rich Nanyang culinary traditions, Penang’s diverse natural ecosystems and et cetera. These themes collectively present Penang’s abundant tourism offerings in an engaging and visually captivating manner.”
Also present at the “In Love With Penang” roadshow were YB Wong Yuee Harng, State Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota; Ooi Chok Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Penang Global Tourism; Mohd Firdaus, Deputy Director of Tourism Malaysia in Southern China; Peng Jun, Senior Official of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism; representatives from Xiamen Airlines and Penang tourism industry players.