Penang is launching an all-out attack on tourism, with a three-year campaign and galvanising all forces at hand, young and young-at-heart, local and foreign. All in all, VisitPenang Year 2010-2012 looks to be quite a party!

The Penang State Government is gearing up with a bang to draw more visitors to Penang, with a campaign running not one, but three years. VisitPenang Year 2010-2012 is a three-year campaign pooling the efforts of tourism industrial players, hotels, travel agents and more.

“A year is too short a time to promote Penang to all the other countries, therefore three years is an ideal period to create more attractive packages and to effectively allow better response in tourist visits to Penang,” said State Executive Councillor for Tourism Development & Culture, Danny Law Heng Kiang.

Launching a Host of Good Times

The campaign was soft launched with month-long festivities held in conjunction with George Town's UNESCO Celebration Month in July 2009, celebrating the first anniversary of George Town’s being accorded UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site status. The Dragon Boat Festival in December 2009 also saw a whopping 27 teams, closing off 2009 with a bang and heralding exciting times to come.

The State Government’s New Year’s Eve festivities, aimed at ‘officially launching’ VisitPenang Year 2010-2012, combines classicism with a rocking good time, with captivating multi-ethnic cultural performances by Seni Mutiara, The Spring Productions and Temple of Fine Arts, followed by live bands at Gurney Plaza – all in all, quite a party!

Institutionalising For Better Results

VisitPenang Year 2010-2012 marks the State Government’s realisation that a coordinated effort is needed to synergise the energies of different players in the tourism industry. As observed by Penang Chief Minster Lim Guan Eng: “There is a need to institutionalise the tourism sector to ensure a sustained effort to develop tourism as one of the main engine of economic growth.”

And in fact, there is potential for economic growth aplenty in the tourism sector. Penang hosted 6.3 million tourist arrivals in 2008 and intends to increase this to 10 million tourists by 2014. Mr Lim pointed out that, of USD14 billion (about RM48 billion) in Malaysia’s overall tourism receipts in 2008, Penang has been estimated by some reports as earning only USD400 million (about RM1.376 billion). Penang, he said, needs to upgrade and innovate, giving investors a ‘unique and unforgettable experience’ to get at least USD1 billion of the country's USD14 billion tourism receipts.

“There is a need to institutionalise the tourism sector to ensure a sustained effort to develop tourism as one of the main engine of economic growth,” he said, pointing out that in 2008, the services sector contributed to 56 percent of Penang's GDP. “If we are to fulfil the Industrial Master Plan 3 (IMP) target of 75% of GNP for Penang in 2020, it is critical there is an organised and systematic effort combined with a high degree of public and private sector cooperation,” said Mr Lim.

Galvanising the Young

The State Government is also reaching out to more youth, as tourists as well as in the form of resources to tap for ideas and energy. Thus, events like the Pesta Pulau Pinang are being upgraded and ‘internationalized’ (but with affordable entrance fees) to attract more youth and generate more revenue for traders. This annual year-end event ran for 41 days in 2009, and featured stalls exhibiting and selling a wide range of items; booths by government agencies, as well as exciting activities such as a badminton competition, Combat Sport Festival, silat demonstration, silambam, arm wrestling, kabbadi exhibition, the Scooter Fest 2009 and Penang International Muay Thai Tournament 2009.

VisitPenang Year 2010-2012 also saw the organisation of the inaugural Penang Postcard Competition, jointly organized by the Penang State Tourism Development & Culture and KDU College (Penang Campus). Open to all Malaysians and foreigners, the competition running from June to August 2009 invited participants who live in or have visited Penang to send in photographs of what they love about Penang and what they would proudly show to the world.

“In the highly competitive tourism industry, every country on the planet is trying to identify unique selling points that will make them stand out from the crowd and help them attract tourists. Here in Penang, we are blessed with more than our fair share of desirable tourism products and attractions,” said the Chief Minister, gratified that the 750 entries reflected residents’ and visitors’ love and appreciation of Penang's Culture, Heritage, Food and Flora and Fauna in their photographs.

Now to spread the good news (and beautiful images) to the rest of the world!