@cmlimguaneng : Penang To Continue Pro Chinese Policies

As Malaysia braces for a drop in Chinese tourist arrivals and a loss of RM4 billion in tourism revenue following the MH370 debacle, Penang continues to see China as a potential market for its flourishing tourism sector.

"Chinese tourists do not know Penang as well as they know other Malaysian tourist destinations. So I do not think we will be much affected.

"If there is an effect, we hope it is only for a short term. We hope that Penang, which is a very attractive tourist destination, can make its presence and name more known in the Chinese market," said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, after attending a ceremony on the inaugural flight of Dargonair's Penang-Hong Kong service, at the Penang International Airport, today.

he Hong Kong-based airline's key market is mainland China, with 22 out of its 42 routes flying to and from Chinese airports.

Lim said Penang would not suffer too much should tourists from China boycott the country due to negative sentiments against Malaysia following the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 since March 8.

He added that the Chinese market for Penang's tourism sector now was "not that big yet", saying this presented both a challenge and an opportunity to the state.

Penang has targeted 5.5 million tourist arrivals this year in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014, with Indonesians and Singaporeans forming the bulk of visitors.

VMY promotion tours to China have been suspended by the Tourism Ministry following the disappearance of MH370 that was flying 227 passengers to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. More than half the passengers were Chinese nationals.

Angry families of the missing flight have lashed out repeatedly at the Malaysian authorities and MAS, accusing them of withholding information in the search for the plane. This led to calls for a boycott against Malaysia, backed by Chinese celebrities who took to the Chinese social media.

Lim said Penang remained a destination of choice for many and the increase in foreign investments in the state was a good indicator.

"Our investors can be our referees and testify to that," he said after seeing off passengers boarding a Dragonair flight out of Penang.

Dragonair operates 10 weekly flights between Hong Kong and Penang beginning yesterday, strengthening further the airline’s network in Asia.

It is taking over the Penang service from its parent company Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.

Penang will be Dragonair’s second destination in Malaysia after Kota Kinabalu, and is the airline's 14th destination since April 2012.

The airline provides daily afternoon flights from Hong Kong to Penang, with additional morning flights departing from Hong Kong every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, giving more flexibility to travellers.

From Penang, there are daily morning flights as well as additional afternoon flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Each flight, using the Airbus A330-300, can accomodate 300 passengers, and the inaugural flights were fully booked.

Lim hoped Dragonair would increase its frequency to two flights a day.

Dragonair chief executive officer Patrick Yeung said the the airline's strength was in its vast network around mainland China.

For Chinese carriers, it is now the largest operating in China, he said.

"The aviation industry is affected by many factors. There are always ups and downs.

"In the long run, the demand for air travel will increase as the middle-class in China grows,” he said.

While Penang is already a well-known name in Hong Kong, Yeung said further collaborations among tourism players in Penang and China can bring more Chinese tourists to the northern Malaysian state.

"Our 10 weekly flights are just the beginning for the airline in Penang. When the time is right, maybe we can increase the frequency of our flights," Yeung added. – March 31, 2014.