The State Government, through Penang Global Tourism (PGT), has outlined various strategic initiatives to strengthen the state’s tourism offerings in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Among them are the Penang State Museum Board Automotive Gallery, Guar Kepar Archaeology Gallery, Ferringhi Bay, Penang Waterfront Convention Centre, Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery, Penang History Gallery, Penang Indian Heritage Gallery and Cultural Centre, Penang Ferry Museum, Straits Oriental Museum, Penang River Cruise, Entopia by Night, Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff, Umi Umi and the Forest Island.
The new attractions were shared by State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai when replying on behalf of the Penang Chief Minister to a question raised by YB Joseph Ng at the state assembly.
Ng had asked for clarification to explain the new tourism products, new attractions, and tourism promotion initiatives introduced by the State Government and the private sector in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
“The development of these products emphasizes more interactive tourism experiences based on heritage, culture and nature in order to attract diverse tourist segments.
“In terms of tourism promotion initiatives, PGT has intensified various marketing efforts at both domestic and international levels. These include implementing digital campaigns through platforms such as Penang Travel Deals, organizing familiarization (FAM) trips for media representatives and travel agents, as well as participating in sales missions and tourism exhibitions in key and emerging markets such as China, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and India.
“In addition, strategic collaborations have been established with airlines, online travel agencies (OTAs), and media partners to expand promotional reach and enhance publicity for Penang as a tourism destination,” added Wong.
Replying to another related question on medical tourism, YB Wong shared that according to data from the Penang Centre of Medical Tourism (PMED) involving 16 private hospitals in Penang, the number of foreign patients in 2024 was 418,608, generating revenue of RM898,070,127. In 2025, the number of foreign patients increased to 527,176 people (an increase of 25.94%), generating revenue of RM1,136,924,434 (an increase of 26.60%).
As for the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT) 2026, the measures implemented are as follows:
(i) Collaborating with airlines to bring in medical tourists from the region, for example through cooperation with AirAsia under the Boarding Pass Privileges programme. Passengers holding boarding passes from outside Malaysia are eligible to enjoy a 15% discount on health screening packages if they hold foreign passports. This programme is effective from 1 October 2025 until 31 December 2026;
(ii) Offering foreign patients the option to make payments in their home country’s currency, such as Indonesian Rupiah, through the Quick Response Indonesian Standard (QRIS) system, where the payment amount is displayed in Rupiah and patients do not need to calculate currency exchange rates. QRIS also offers lower foreign exchange rates compared to debit or credit cards;
(iii) Participating in roadshows and exhibitions organized by Penang Global Tourism (PGT) in China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Taiwan; and
(iv) Participating in trade exhibitions organized by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, Tourism Malaysia, and other organizations in the region, such as in Myanmar.
(v) Strengthening flight connectivity to cities with large numbers of medical tourists, such as Medan, Aceh, Jakarta, and Surabaya in Indonesia, Yangon in Myanmar, as well as destinations across ASEAN and East Asia.