Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Wong Hon Wai, shared encouraging updates on the revival and growth of Penang’s tourism sector, highlighting the strong recovery of Penang International Airport (PIA) in conjunction with the significant anniversary of 18 March.
March 18, 2020 marked the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, a moment that brought the global tourism industry to an unprecedented standstill.
“MCO was officially implemented across Malaysia. At that moment, the global tourism industry had almost come to a halt. It was a difficult period shared by the entire tourism sector,” he said.
Six years on, as of 18 March 2026, Wong noted that Penang’s tourism industry has demonstrated a steady and resilient recovery.
“As we reflect on those challenging times, we can clearly see the consistent progress Penang’s tourism industry has made, step by step,” he added. Also present at the press conference was Penang Global Tourism (PGT) CEO, Ooi Chok Yan.
According to the latest data, Penang International Airport recorded 336 international flights per week in January 2026, compared to 293 flights per week in January 2020, an increase of 43 flights, representing a 14.7% growth.
Passenger traffic has also risen significantly, from 656,790 passengers in January 2020 to 740,883 passengers in January 2026, marking an increase of 84,093 passengers or 12.8% growth.
Further strengthening Penang’s global connectivity, several new international direct routes have been introduced since 2020. As of January 2026, new destinations include Xiamen, Shanghai, Chengdu, Yangon, Dubai and Chennai.
“These figures send a clear message that Penang’s tourism industry has not only recovered from the pandemic, but has surpassed pre-pandemic levels,” Wong said.
“Six years after 18 March 2020, we have even more reason to believe that Penang’s tourism industry has emerged from the shadows and is now soaring towards broader horizons.”
Looking ahead, he emphasised that the state will continue to enhance aviation connectivity, strengthen tourism offerings, and expand into new international markets to attract more visitors to Penang.
At the same press conference held at PIA, Wong also highlighted strong early response to the Penang Bridge International Marathon 2026, which recorded 6,000 registrations on its first day, including both local and international participants. PBIM 2026 will introduce two new Elite Runners Categories, namely: Full Marathon Challenge Category and the Half Marathon Challenge Category.
He also described the turnout as a positive indicator and encouraged runners to register early to avoid disappointment.
That’s fantastic news about Penang! It’s really great to see the airport doing so well after all those tough months.