GEORGE TOWN – Killing two birds with one stone, the Penang State Executive Council for Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace) is working with Shopee to help rejuvenate tourism in the state while getting tour operators to come on board the popular e-commerce platform.
Its “Jom! Experience Penang” campaign was launched on Wednesday night, featuring RM100 cash vouchers that can be redeemed upon purchase of travel packages that each cost RM150 and above.
Shopee users can access the “Jom! Experience Penang” deals on a microsite, which features more than 150 packages including hotels and attractions for domestic travellers until December 31.
Petace chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the state is pumping in RM3.7 million to boost Penang’s tourism drives on e-commerce platforms.
Operators of travel agencies, attractions and hotels can take advantage of the campaign on the Shopee platform to digitise their businesses and attract new potential target customers.
He noted that the state had launched the “Penang Responsible Tourism” campaign in July last year and the Covid-19 safety accreditation programme to strengthen preventive measures undertaken by Penang’s tourism industry players.
“These initiatives are the first of their kind in Malaysia, aimed at instilling confidence in travellers when visiting Penang,” he said at the campaign’s launch at The Top in Komtar here on Wednesday.
“While we work towards educating and increasing public awareness, at the same time promotions such as the ‘Jom! Experience Penang’ with Shopee will surely play a major role in spurring domestic tourism and generating income.”
To be entitled to the RM100 rebate, a purchase must be made before December 31 but the related tours can be at later dates.
Yeoh is also optimistic that such a collaboration with Shopee will provide travellers with alternative ways to book their travels while encouraging the tourism industry to be more active on various online platforms.
This ties in with Penang’s aspiration to become a “smart tourist destination” as outlined in the Penang Tourism Master Plan.
This includes normalising the use of e-wallets and encouraging digitisation of local tourism products and businesses.
“After these two years (of pandemic), I am glad the tourism players are still strong enough to sustain tourism products,” he said, stressing that the industry is waiting for international borders to reopen in January next year.
Wong Chee Mun, business development lead for Shopee Malaysia, who was also in attendance, said in his speech that the collaboration has been much anticipated by the company and that he believes it will drive the visibility of Penang to millions of Malaysians. – The Vibes, November 19, 2021
