Now that international travellers are trickling back, hospitality and tourism players in Penang are going all out to craft better experiences for them.
One such initiative is the Penang on 3 Wheels (P3W) trishaw rides offered by M Summit 191 Executive Hotel Suites as part of its Stay and Ride package.
Besides accommodation, guests will enjoy a two-hour ride around the city to explore heritage sites, traditional trades and mural art, and tuck into street food as well.
Hotel general manager Moh Wei Ken said at the P3W launch that the main objectives were to promote George Town’s unique attractions while supporting trishaw riders who were badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The tourism industry is now slowly recovering but we still need to make an extra effort to attract tourists to come back to Penang.
“We believe many will enjoy seeing the city in a different light via this traditional mode of transport,” said Wei Ken.
Highlights of the ride include the famous “Kids on a Bicycle” and “Boy on a Chair” murals by Ernest Zacharevic, Chew Jetty, Sia Boey Urban Archaeo-logical Park and Beach Street Fire Station.
Tourists will also be taken to Armenian Street where they can visit Acheen Street Mosque, Cheah Kongsi Temple, Dr Sun Yat Sen Museum and Khoo Kongsi Temple. They can stop for meals at coffee- shops as well.
M Summit Group managing director and founder Datuk Albert Moh said: “This P3W package allows every guest to help trishaw riders earn a living.
“These trishaw riders are part of Penang’s living heritage.”
Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin lauded the initiative, saying it would help the trishaw riders make ends meet.
He also announced that the state government would continue providing RM200 monthly aid to the riders.
Previously, his office, through collaborations with non-governmental organisations, oversaw a vaccination programme, free health checks and renewal of licences for the trishaw riders.
Yeoh, Albert and Wei Ken also launched the hotel’s Heritage Lane which features a trio of wall murals.
One mural titled “Squatting for Teochew Porridge” depicts the stall along Magazine Road where customers squat on benches to eat.
The second mural “Kopi Peng with 5-Star Rating” shows a push-cart run by Everling Ang selling iced coffee on nearby Noordin Street, while “When Trams Ran in Penang” harks back to the early 1900s when tram lines criss-crossed the city.
At the launch, Yeoh and Albert flagged off a convoy of trishaws carrying guests and hotel staff.
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