GEORGE TOWN – Although Penang has reopened its borders to domestic tourists, foot traffic in themed attractions is not even close to pre-pandemic times.
Business has especially been dire for ticketed venues that are saddled with high maintenance costs. This is no exception for The Top at Komtar, which has been dubbed “the highest iconic edutainment tower”.
According to operations director Kevin Michael Lai Tuck Ming, business is just starting to pick up after the borders opened, with visitors amounting to 20%-30% of what it used to be.
“Nothing can compare to the numbers of people walking in before the movement control order last year.
“Currently, we are only open Fridays to Sundays. With the Deepavali holidays coming up, we will be open from Wednesday until the end of the week.
“The Top is a big place, and to keep it open incurs a tremendous overhead cost – from staffing, to the central air conditioning that has to be switched on at full blast,” he told The Vibes.
Its 16 attractions include the Penang Rainbow Skywalk, an open-air deck on Level 68 with a U-shaped glass walkway that used to host almost 2,000 people a day. Now, it only sees 350 to 450 people a day.
Lai said it will take a collective effort for the tourism industry to ride high once more.
“Right now, many people are still reserved on heading out to attraction spots. What all tourism players and stakeholders need to do, is to work together in promoting the enforcement of SOPs (standard operating procedures) so the public will have confidence in patronising tourism spots.
“My wish is to gain the public’s confidence again.”
While waiting for the number of visitors to increase, the team at The Top has started its Halloween package that covers three attractions on-site – the Magic Mirror Maze, Musical Carousel, and Zombie Outbreak.
The Zombie Outbreak naturally features jump scares by “zombies”, and visitors can expect to be greeted by terrifying screams and dizzying walkways. Walk-in prices start at RM28 for children and senior citizens, and RM48 for adults.
For those who wish to experience all 16 attractions at The Top, prices start at RM88 (per child) and RM108 (per adult). Alternatively, visitors can choose to visit three attractions for only RM55 (per child) and RM75 (per adult).
Other attractions include the Observatory Deck, Tech Dome, Science Discovery Centre, 7D Discovery Motion Theatre, DanceOki, Dragon Regatta, Jurassic Research Centre (Jurassic Park), Ocean Explorer, and Tongkat Ali King. – The Vibes, October 30, 2021
