By V. Sivaji
The Penang State Government will adopt a “three-in-one” (cross-industry) marketing strategy to spur and attract demand for the state in the international market,
This initiative will involve the aviation, hotel and tourist attractions to ensure that Penang gets the full steam ahead in its recovery journey.
“Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) will reinstate Penang as the Northern region base hub for Firefly, effective April 11, 2022.,”
“Following this reinstatement, the first exercise that we will be seeing under the three-in-one strategy is the provision of discounts on Firefly flight tickets for travellers staying more than one (1) night in Penang hotels,” said State Exco for and Creative Economy YB Yeoh Soon Hin in a press statement.
The move will surely spur and attract demands for the state in the international market.
He also added that under this marketing strategy, advertising and promotional efforts will also be concentrated on promoting tourist attractions to stimulate the tourism economy in Penang.
Yeoh said that Firefly also plans to launch new flight routes to other Southeast Asian countries, apart from connecting Penang to East Malaysia such as Sabah and Sarawak.
“At this moment, the flights that we can expect from this reinstatement on Monday are direct flights from Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Johor Bahru to Penang,” he added.
Yeoh also emphasized that the first three months after the reopening of Malaysia borders is the golden period to get the industry back on its feet, adding that the agencies under his purview such as Penang Global Tourism and Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau have respectively embarked on recovery plans for leisure tourism and MICE tourism.
In the meantime, Yeoh also launched the “Expo Jom Cari Kerja” at the St Giles – Wembley Hotel where some 30 odd hotels set up their booths to entice workers for the hospitality industry.
The expo is organised by the office of the Tourism and Creative Economy in collaboration along with the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).
Other main partners for the event are Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), the Association of Tourism Attraction (ATAP) and the Malaysian Association of Theme Parks and Family Attractions (MATFA).
Present was MAH Penang Chapter chairman, Tony Goh, PCEB chief executive officer, Ashwin Gunasekeran, Ch’ng Huck Theng (ATAP) and Vergis Mathews (Matta Penang chapter chairman.
Various representatives from the hotel Human Resources Departments were seen manning the booths.
Among the hotels lending support to the expo are Amari Spice Penang, The Light Hotel, Ascot Gurney Penang, Sky Residence Prai by The Ascott, Mei Hotel, Qatta Hotel & Hospitality Management, The Prestige, Aroma Hotel, St Giles Wembley, Park Royal Penang. Cititel Penang, Mercure Hotel, Iconic Hotel, Sunway Georgetown and Seberang Jaya, Eastin Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Golden Sands Resort, Royale Chulan Penang, G Hotel, Neo+ Hotel, Wesley Hotel, Lexis Suites Penang, The TopPenang, The Habitat and Rapid Penang.
