GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s tourism industry is able to cope with the fallout from the novel coronavirus because the state has diversified its tourism portfolio by venturing into the meetings, incentives conventions and exhibitions (MICE) area.
Instead of just relying on leisure tourists, Penang has gone big into business-tourism where MICE delegates enjoy the flexibility of changing the dates of their trips when faced with emergencies such as a disease outbreak, according to state tourism development committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin.
So even if they cannot come now, they are booked to attend their meetings in Penang at a later date, he said.
Leisure tourists tend to only make short-term travel plans unlike business tourists who usually have the time to accommodate changes, Yeoh added.
Yeoh told a press conference that unlike some other states, Penang is weathering the pandemic quite well for now by focusing on MICE and also by encouraging the private sector not to overreact to the issue.
“We urge the private sector to abide by the health authorities who have reacted well to the outbreak by screening all arrivals from China. We have banned direct flights from the epicentre of Hubei (Wuhan) but we do allow travellers from China to come in if they meet out stringent conditions,“ Yeoh added.
There is no need to panic, said Yeoh, who added that there is also a necessity to be fully aware of how the virus spreads.
He said China nationals must observe the incubation period of 14 days and to self-quarantine themselves if they have developed the symptoms.
Later, Penang Convention Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) chief executive officer Ashwin Gunasekeran said there has not been any cancellation of MICE events here despite the coronavirus scare.
“There might be postponements but overall, Penang is going from strength to strength in the business tourism sector,“ Ashwin said.
In 2018, Penang recorded 2,511 MICE events which generated RM1.31 billion in economic value to the state.
Last year, the state registered an impressive growth where the audited figures are expected to be unveiled next month.
Penang is also poised for a record-breaking year for MICE events, Ashwin said.
Earlier, Yeoh witnessed the signing ceremony to welcome some 800 delegates of the Asia Pacific Regional Rotaract Conference, which will be held in September here.
Representing Rotaract was its Kuala Lumpur district president Calvin Khoo.
