PENANG has lined up a series of events and facilities to sustain the momentum it has achieved in tourism since travelling was restored more than 18 months ago.
Having registered impressive figures with the average hotel occupancies showing improvement, especially during peak periods, state executive councillor in charge of tourism Yeoh Soon Hin wants the state to be known for its crowd-pulling activities.
With three major events on the cusp of celebrations by the third quarter of this year, namely the 15th anniversary of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the 50th George Town-Adelaide sister-city anniversary celebrations and the 100th anniversary of the Penang Hill train carriage, it is all systems go for tourism.
The celebrations start tomorrow with Penang's unique Chingay procession which will dominate the streets of the administration centre in town. Roads in the area have will be closed to accommodate the anticipated crowd.
Postponed from last month due to a conflicting schedule, the participants will display jaw-breaking performances to thrill both local and foreign tourists alike.
The symbol of Chingay is a balancing act to momentarily balance the gigantic bamboo flags poles on one's face.
These performances have their roots in Taoist worship and the hoisting of the tall poles have been recorded here as early as 1905.
It was believed that this tradition was upheld to appease Taoist deities here.
Chingay procession was believed to have first taken roots in Penang in 1919. This year would mark its 104th edition although it was scrapped for some years due to unforeseen circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Accompanying the Chingay stuntmen are usually stilt walkers, floats, lion and dragon dance troupes.
Yeoh also shared his insight that tourism is not just confined to festivals only. There must be more events to fuel the momentum of arrivals and a diversity of attractions.
Here, Island LandCap Hospitality Sdn Bhd has gone on to manage the newly established Penang International Convention, Cultural & Arts Centre (Picca).
It was developed in Ampang Jajar, Butterworth and it is designed to boost the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) scene in Prai.
Island's executive chairman Datuk Oon Weng Boon recently welcomed specially invited guests to the facilities, with a message that the mainland of Penang is also ripe for tourism, including the MICE-driven segment.
This grand facility has been designed to cater more than 8,000 delegates and to provide a space that is truly exceptional.
Sports tourism has now been promoted widely in Penang and this has prompted one of the nation's oldest sporting private clubs to help organise the Penang Sports Club - Cheetah International Soccer 7's tournament last week.
Some 56 teams from Australia, China, India, South Africa, Brunei, Maldives, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Kuala Lumpur/Selangor, Malacca and Penang's own will pit their close-up footballing skills.
From 56 teams, some 1,000 people, who are indirect tourists, attended the event.
“As in previous years, most of the participating teams will be parading many ex-internationals in their line-up,” said organising chairman Dr S. Pandiraja.
The tournament is in its 22nd edition but this year, there was more emphasis to feature it as a sport tourism event.
Among the local players were retired stars Datuk Wira Soh Chin Aun, Datuk Santokh Singh, Vincent Thambiraja, Zainal Abidin, Khalid Ali, Alen Bijkusa, Thoon Chee Eng, Rukumaran as well as Suriamurthi, Sundramoorthy, K. Kanan from Singapore.
The winner of the Grand Master Plate Competition was Essex LaSallians who beat PISS FC by a margin of 2-1.
In the Master Plate Competition, Trisakti from Jakarta, Indonesia beat local team Malaysian Grasshoppers by a score of 2-0.
For the Veterans Plate Competition, Port Rangers beat Hulhumale Vets from the Maldives by 4-1.
Earlier, Yeoh also unveiled the popular board game Monopoly, which would now be given a flavour of Penang's tourism attractions.
Surely, the names like Trafalgar Square, Old Kent Road, Euston Road, Pall Mall, Whitehall, Regent Street will come to your memory.
Soon, you can play the game with the various locations on the board with Penang locations like The Habitat Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si Temple, Clan Jetties, Penang National Park, The Top Penang will be the new properties on the Malaysian version.
The Monopoly Penang version game is expected to be ready in October this year.
This follows the collaboration forged between Penang and Winning Moves board game company from the United Kingdom.
Present at the launching ceremony were Jennifer Lau, Partnership Manager from Winning Moves and Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan.
Monopoly has been around for more than 100 years and has sold over 275 million copies worldwide, said Lau.
“We are excited to be in Penang and come up with this new Penang-themed edition. We are sure that the move will enhance Penang as a world destination.
“We are also encouraging members of the public to send their suggestions at [email protected]."
Meanwhile, the Miami-based Oceania Cruises will make its way to Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) as part of this year's itinerary.
Oceania Cruises is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, a diversified cruise operator of leading global cruise brands which include Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Oceania Cruises has announced their 2023-2024 sailings in Asia aboard the re-inspired Riviera cruise liner and Penang is marked as one of the stopovers.
Having Riviera sail this corner of the world, showcasing her new stem-to-stern, better-than-new interiors, is the most stylish, luxurious and relaxing way to explore multiple fascinating cultures while enjoying The Finest Cuisine at Sea on one voyage, it said in a press release.
The ship, which accommodates 1,238 passengers, will sail through Arabia, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.
As tourism rebounds strongly in Penang, hoteliers are busy tapping the renewed interest in Penang as a destination.
Among the aggressive hotel management group is the Singapore-based Ascott Group, who opened its third leisure property in Penang in the past year.
The Ascott Ltd, the hospitality arm of Singapore's CapitaLand Investment Ltd, is expanding its presence in Malaysia despite concerns about tourism, after over two years of lockdowns had sent the industry backpedalling.
It has launched the 143-room Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang, which sits in the heart of George Town, and an eight-minute walk from the Komtar skyscraper.
Set in George Town, hotel is focused to help guests stay connected, recharge and be on the go during business and leisure travels.
Mondi Mecja, Ascott’s country general manager for Malaysia, cited that: “Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang sees to further extend the operational excellence of the brand across Penang. There’s a shared space that allows guests to catch a breather, connect and recharge before check-in and after check-out."
Yeoh, who launched the hotel, hopes that it will meet the demand for quality rooms.
Not to be outdone is the just-launched Amari Spice Hotel over at Bayan Baru, Penang's answer to the satellite township living of Petaling Jaya in Selangor.
Amari, which boast the bigger room inventory in Penang, of over 400 rooms, launched its contemporary spa retreat facility within the hotel.
The hotel, which has replaced the now-closed Equatorial Hotel, as a premier business/convention hotel in Bayan Baru, which is next to the sprawling Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, hopes its qualified therapists can soothe the weary bodies of travellers and local residents alike.
The Breeze Spa is also a sign that the spa and recreational health facilities are on the rise in Penang, as since tourism reopened, it is the fifth outlet to set up operations.
Spa entrepreneur Steve Wynn sees the business as brisk but most importantly, it should not be associated with vice activities.
"It is time to change the perception that spas are fronts for vice activities. The majority of such establishments are genuine care centre for alternative health therapies."
Amari also prepared an early promotion for the upcoming Ramadan month.
It offers a nostalgia buffet dinner at the Amaya Food Gallery outlet with the usual traditional favourites such as roast lamb, roast chicken and many others.
Yeoh said that the current attractions, and with plans to promote more events, will transform Penang into a year-long destination for all forms of tourism. – The Vibes, March 10, 2023
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