By Ian McIntyre
PENANG which is considered a leading inbound tourism destination for the region has decided to reboot itself as a preferred destination for business travellers and a gastronomic location to sample food from the world over.
Known locally as a food haunt for foodies, Penang now imports food from the world over to be promoted here while also increases the number of events, which cater to corporate segment and business traveller delegates.
The result is a more refined and focused tourism destination, said state executive councillor Wong Hon Wai.
Wong recently spoke at the QNet convention – a direct retail seller with a reach in some 30 countries, especially in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and African nations where he told the attendees that Penang is now home for business travel.
Various incentives would be imparted to lure business travellers to attend serious meetings and conferences before unwinding in the state’s leisure attractions, he said,
The state is also acclaimed for its heritage value through its listing as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its Batu Ferringhi tourism belt, which is one of the country’s pioneering beachfront attractions.
But Wong said that he aims to diversify the state’s tourism allure, so business travel and positioning Penang as a global food-tasting location represents a new way.
The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) has been scouring the world to tap new markets for business travel.
Now it is at OMEX Frankfurt, promoting the state to some 2,800 global meeting planners.
Meanwhile, at the G Hotel in Penang, Honorary French consul general, Teoh Sun Aun praised the hotel for bringing in Polish food for the first time to the state.
The hotel will be holding a special Polish food promotion from Friday until Sunday during its weekend buffet dinner spread.
Teoh said that it was an initiative worth exploring more because the European Union has many unique cuisines for the local residents to experiment and relish.
“I think we can bring food in from all parts of the world. It will add value to tourism but we need to market and promote it well,” said Teoh, who is also a board member of the Malaysia-German Society, which is based in Penang.
Teoh said that gastronomy is a big part of the tourism pull in the state. The hotel’s general manager Michael Hanratty said that the property is delighted to offer something unique for the state besides enhancing the value of tourism here.
