By V. Sivaji
Winners of the MATTA Fair Penang 2026 Buyers Contest received their prizes during a presentation ceremony held at Hard Rock Hotel Penang last night.
The guest of honour was YB Wong Hon Wai, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy. He was welcomed by MATTA Penang Chairlady Ms Carolyn Leong, together with newly re-elected MATTA President Nigel Wong.
Also present were Ms Amita Soyza, MAG Group Regional Manager (Sales) for Malaysia & Brunei; Tourism Malaysia Northern Region Director Abdul Hadi Che Man; Penang Global Tourism (PGT) Chief Executive Officer Ooi Chok Yan; MATTA Deputy President Mohd Hizzat Mohd Shah; Mary Ann Harris (PMED); John Kim (MAH Penang), Ms Michelle Wu (GM China Airlines), Ms Tan Kah Boey (RHB Bank) and other invited guests.
In her opening address, Leong hailed the success of this year’s MATTA Fair, which was held for the very first time at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC).
“We achieved record sales of RM47 million and welcomed a record 52,817 visitors to the fair. Visitors had the opportunity to choose from 330 booths represented by 120 exhibitors, offering both domestic and international travel packages,” she said.
She also expressed appreciation to MAG Group and the event’s sponsors for their support.
“We wish to thank MAG Group for its generous support, as well as all our sponsors for their invaluable contributions to the success of this year’s fair,” she added.
Among the top prizes presented were Business Class return trips to Paris, Brisbane and Narita, Japan. Other prize destinations included Incheon, South Korea; the Maldives; Taipei, Taiwan; Chengdu, China; and Hanoi, Vietnam.
Leong also congratulated the winners and invited them to visit the next edition of the MATTA Fair.
She attributed the fair’s success to the strong support of exhibitors, industry partners, sponsors, government agencies and the visiting public.
Meanwhile, Wong congratulated the organising committee on another successful MATTA Fair and expressed hope that the next edition would be even bigger and more successful.
