218.86 PCT SURGE IN CHINA TOURIST ARRIVALS IN PENANG IN 2024

GEORGE TOWN, May 19 (Bernama) -- Penang experienced a 218.86 per cent surge in tourist arrivals from China via the Penang International Airport (LTAPP) last year compared to 2023.

State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said this proved that China remained one of Penang's major overseas markets.

"China tourist arrivals via the LTAPP international arrival gate was 5,918 people in 2022, rising to 37,711 in 2023 and surging to 120,252 people last year,” he said in reply to a question from Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lancang) who asked about the state government's strategies and achievements in exploring the China tourism market during the State Legislative Assembly sitting today.

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Wong said the state government, through its agencies, always strived to explore tourism markets in China through various measures, including strategically collaborating with airline companies to increase direct flights from China to Penang.

He added that there are currently direct flights from four of the five busiest airports in China - Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu - to Penang, in addition to the seven flights launched from cities in China since August 2023.

Wong said that the state government had also aggressively implemented marketing campaigns on social media and tourism websites, in collaboration with Online Travel Agency (OTA) China and airline companies to offer interesting tourism packages as well as providing familiarisation trips to tourism agents, media personnel and influencers from China.

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"Tourism in Penang is also actively promoted on the Xiaohongshu (formerly known as Little Red Book) social media and e-commerce platform, which is becoming crucial in tourism promotional strategies, particularly for attracting tourists from China and Mandarin-speaking communities,” he said.

-- BERNAMA