THE now completed Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) will stimulate higher growth of the Penang's thriving meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) sector, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
The project is under the developer - IJM Perennial , which are the master developers of The Light City mix-development site, located aside the Penang Bridge.
Chow said that the PWCC raises the competitive profile of Penang as a preferred destination for MICE - business travellers, who conventionally outspent conventional tourists.
Chow said this after visiting PWCC, accompanied by officials from the state and developer.
Among those present were state exco for tourism Wong Hon Wai and IJM Perennial Development director Datuk Tony Ling Thou Lung as well as state exco for infrastructure Zairil Khir Johari.
Wong informed that MICE contributed an estimated economic impact (EEI) of some RM1 billion last year, and the figure will grow this year in view that it is also the "Visit Malaysia Year 2026" promotional campaign.
EEI comprises of many segments from hospitality, transport, retail to touristry attractions.
Ling defended the prospects of establishing another retail zone besides PWCC - a shopping mall despite signs of a glut in commercial properties.
Penang has up to three malls, which have lost significance business in the past decade, especially at Komtar - the state administrative complex.
He said that the mall will complement The Light township and the PWCC.
Scheduled to be completed by the middle of 2026, the mall is arguably the biggest in Penang with a gross floor area of 1.6 million ft and a waterfront scene.
While Ling was cagey about who the anchor tenants would be, he promised major surprises to dazzle potential shoppers there.
The Light City has residences such as the Mezzo and Lightwater besides commercial areas of hotels, office spaces, PWCC and an innovative art gallery.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson with the state Land and Mines Department revealed that majority of the reclamation landbank in Penang has been gazetted in the past decade but stressed that it is a small extension of the main Penang island.
The total landbank created is over 1,500 ha but small in relatively due to the strict enforcement of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), said the spokesperson. - January 6, 2025.
