PENANG saw a record number of tourist arrivals this year, while commercial investors rushed to establish more boutique hotels as well as five-star chains over the past 12 - months.
State executive councillor for tourism Wong Hon Wai, was the busiest state exco member in 2024 as he has a daily punishing pace of programmes and meetings to tend to while finding time to participate in marathons - his favourite recreational sport.
Besides traditional tourism attractions, the state is also pushing its business travel segment with the Penang Conventions Exhibitions Bureau (PCEB) pulling in an impressive number of to the state, including in the mainland.
It is believed that up to 10 new hotels were launched in the past 12 - months here, a testament to the state's growing reputation as a preferred tourism destination.
There are around 1.5 million hotel rooms in Penang, excluding the homestays and the online reservation Airbnb category.
Following the revival of the leisure industry under the late Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen in the 1990s, Penang has steadily climbed through the ranks to be a major getaway.
This surge underscores Penang’s status as one of the region’s top destinations.
The state has once again been listed among the 22 best places to visit in Asia by Lonely Planet with Wong taking to social media to celebrate the status.
Wong praised the recognition in a recent social media post.
“This remarkable feat demonstrates that Penang’s allure as a tourist destination is further strengthened by its famous local cuisines and vibrant cultural heritage. This achievement has also placed our country prominently on the world map,” Wong wrote.
Penang Hill a top tourist destination
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng told the state newsletter Buletin Mutiara that a significant spike in visitors to Penang Hill was detected, with over 26,000 visitors recorded over the past three days.
“On December 25 alone, we welcomed more than 9,000 visitors to Penang Hill,” Cheok said, acknowledging the challenges posed by the traffic surge. To manage the situation, additional manpower was deployed to ensure smooth operations.
To ease congestion during this festive season, Cheok highlighted the introduction of free shuttle buses, which proved to be a valuable initiative.
Penang Hill is expected to soar as the top tourism product in the state once the proposed cable car up to its peak from the Botanic Gardens is completed within the next two years.
Worst traffic in the country
But with success comes issues, as pointed out by former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan, who said the traffic congestion is now almost the worst in the country, especially with the high peak season in the state.
There is a daily grind of bottlenecks on both the island and the mainland.
Pending the completion of new roads under the Penang Transport Master Plan, as well as the light rail transit system (LRT), something tangible must be done to address the worsening of traffic here, he said.
He said that there is also concern over widespread pollution such as the rampant discarding of waste by tourists, as they do not live here, they are just visiting only.
"The state must pay more attention to the underbelly of tourism, which is the dire consequences of having more people.
“Besides traffic and pollution, there is also a need to ensure that public health is well-maintained.
“We cannot afford an outbreak of new viruses like the COVID-19 pandemic," said Raveentharan. - December 28, 2024.
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