Malacca overtakes Penang as tourist destination

Malacca overtakes Penang as tourist destination

Malacca has overtaken Penang as tourism destination attracting some 8.9mil tourists throughout last year.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said in the same period Penang had only managed to draw 5.96mil tourists.

“The statistics speaks for itself. Tourists arrival in Penang has dropped from 6.3mil in 2008 according to the statistics from our research division.

“Penang has good accessibility and a lot of products. The state government must play important role in this,” she said after a soft launching of Penang Hill funicular train upgrading project at Penang Hill lower station in Air Itam Saturday.

She said with a total of 191 flights from 12 international airlines flying into the city weekly Penang has a good potential of becoming the country’s leading tourist destination.

The state, she said, should put more initiative to have more well-trained tourist guides, especially those who were well-informed about Penang heritage and history.

“These guides and restaurant employees should be able to tell the stories behind the heritage buildings. This way, we can give the tourists an added value to the services provided,” she said.

-News courtesy of The Star-