YB Yeoh (fourth from left) with Minoru (fourth from right) posing for the camera.
The surge in the arrival of visitors from Japan has prompted the Penang State Exco for Tourism to call for direct flights from Japan to Penang.
He noted that with Japan opening its borders last October, the number of Japanese visitors to Penang have been steadily increasing.
Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Yeoh Soon Hin met up with the general manager of All Nippon Airways Kuala Lumpur Mr Minoru Kusakabe on this matter recently.
“Ever since Japan opened its border last October, the inbound passengers from Japan have been increasing steadily for the past six months with a total number of 4,369 travelers. I am confident that the influx of Japanese visitors will continue to rise as tourism activities are picking up momentum,” said Yeoh in a press statement.
“We predict that the pace of traffic growth will continue to build momentum for the rest of 2023. As such, we call for the Japanese airlines to do a feasibility study on the direct connectivity between Penang and Japanese cities.
Yeoh is taking initiative to connect with Japanese airlines and identify new flight routes to help Penang to take on a bigger role in bringing foreign investors to the Northern region of Malaysia.
“I am committed to exploring all avenues to make this a reality. Japan, in particular, is identified as a promising market, with a strong and growing economy and a thriving tourism industry.
“Expectantly, a new Penang-Japan flight path could contribute to the target set by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to reach 16.1 million foreign arrivals this year,” said Yeoh.
Through Penang Global Tourism(PGT), Yeoh invited All Nippon Airways (ANA) to Penang for a familiarization trip to better understand the market and the variety of tourism products in Penang.
After the meeting with Yeoh, Mr Minoru Kusakabe, expressed his enthusiasm to further their market research and collect more analytical insights of Penang after the fam-trip.
This initiative will involve the Penang State Government, working closely with the airlines and travel intermediaries to identify new routes, including from Japan and other overseas regions that can be added to Penang’s existing network.
In a related move, Yeoh had earlier written to the Prime Minster of India on the possibility of direct flight from Chennai. Accordingly, Prime Minister Modi had instructed his ministers to study the matter.