The Malaysian state of Penang is ramping up efforts to attract Indian tourists, leveraging the launch of its first daily direct flight connection to Chennai by IndiGo in November 2024. This milestone, pursued for nearly seven years, marks a significant step in enhancing accessibility for Indian travellers and tapping into the growing Indian outbound travel market.
YB Wong Hon Wai, Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy, led a multi-city roadshow titled Discover Penang across Mumbai (January 13), New Delhi (January 15), Kolkata (January 17) and Chennai (January 20). The roadshow recorded an impressive turnout, with approximately 200 buyers attending the event in each city.
“With this year’s theme, Discover Penang, we want to highlight Penang as a holistic destination for culture, nature, heritage, weddings, festivals and business. With the direct Chennai-Penang flight and visa-free travel for Indian tourists, we expect strong demand from the Indian market in 2025,” Wai said during a press conference in New Delhi.
The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip (EMT) in New Delhi. This MoU aims to foster a strategic partnership to enhance Penang’s appeal as a top travel destination for Indian tourists. It emphasizes collaborative efforts to boost Penang’s visibility in the Indian market through innovative initiatives, targeted campaigns and improved travel opportunities.
The direct flights have already begun yielding results, particularly in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) segment. Ashwin Gunasekeran, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PCEB, shared that over 3,000 Indian delegates are expected to visit Penang in June 2025 for a conference. Penang is also in discussions with IndiGo to establish another direct route to northern India, further boosting connectivity.
In 2024, Penang hosted 300,000 international MICE delegates, with 10-15% arriving from India. Last year, Penang hosted nearly 1,900 events, attracting 296,630 delegates and generating an estimated economic impact of RM1.27 billion.
India continues to be a vital source market for Malaysia. In 2024, Malaysia welcomed a total of 1,009,114 Indian visitors from January to November, surpassing its target of 1 million. This remarkable achievement represents a 71.7% increase compared to 2023, reaffirming Malaysia’s status as a preferred destination for Indian travellers.