Official: Penang sees 84pc recovery rate in passenger arrivals for 2023
GEORGE TOWN, Jan 29 — Penang recorded a total of 6,979,748 passenger arrivals in 2023, according to state exco Wong Hon Wai.
The tourism and creative economy committee chairman said this was up from 4,242,997 in 2022 and equivalent to a recovery rate of 84.14 per cent.
He also said it signified a rebound in international and domestic air travel after the challenges in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
“The number of international flights has achieved 259 weekly flights in December 2023 compared to 284 weekly flights in November 2019, generating a recovery of 91.20 per cent,” he said in a statement issued today.
He said that last year, Penang resumed flights to destinations such as Guangzhou, Xiamen, Doha, Bangkok, Phuket, Banda Acheh, and Hong Kong.
He said Penang is set to become a global travel hub especially with new international destinations such as to India, Shanghai, and Dubai this year.
“It also demonstrates Penang’s strategic importance in the international aviation network,” he said.
He said there are 13 international cities with direct flights to Penang such as Singapore, Medan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Taipei, and Ho Chi Minh City.
“The top 10 international arrivals in 2023 for Penang International Airport is Indonesia, followed by Singapore, China, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Australia, UK, Japan and other Commonwealth countries,” he said.
He said Penang recorded the highest number of passengers movement in March (790,486) and December (666,742) last year.
He said Penang’s cruise tourism also saw it rose to a total 573,178 international passengers last year as compared to 439,012 in 2022 and 409,943 in 2019.
“The significant recovery indicates that Penang’s cruise tourism has not only returned to pre-pandemic levels but has also exceeded its previous performance,” he said.
He is optimistic that Penang will remain a top destination choice for travellers.
