MORE than 6,000 Japanese tourists arrived directly in Penang by air or sea between January and July this year.
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the figure did not include Japanese visitors who entered Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur or other states before travelling to Penang by flight or overland.
“Therefore, the actual number of Japanese tourists to Penang is significantly higher than the figure reflected in these direct arrivals,” he said at the opening of Bunka Festival at Gurney Walk in George Town.
Wong said diversifying source markets was crucial in strengthening the resilience and long-term sustainability of Penang’s tourism industry.
“Japan is a high-spending and quality-conscious tourism market.
“It is one of the key markets Penang government is committed to developing further.”
He said the state government had undertaken several initiatives in recent years to tap into the Japanese market.
These included developing Japanese-language tourism promotional materials through Penang Global Tourism.
Wong said the state government also led representatives from the local tourism industry for roadshows in Tokyo and Osaka last year.
“These initiatives enabled us to engage directly with tourism industry players in Japan, strengthen industry linkages and establish closer connections.”
He added that the state government was working with Japan Airlines to deepen Penang’s access to Japan’s outbound tourism market.
Through the collaboration, familiarisation trips had been arranged for Japanese tourism industry representatives to experience Penang’s tourism products first-hand.
“We hope that after returning to Japan these tourism industry players will be able to design suitable Penang travel packages tailored to the preferences and interests of Japanese tourists and subsequently promote them in their market.”
Wong said the state government was also engaging airlines to explore direct flights between Japan and Penang.
“As a short-term collaborative initiative between airlines and travel agents, we intend to initially explore the charter flight model.
“This would help meet seasonal demand from Japanese tourists and allow airlines to test the market, laying a solid foundation for more diverse and sustainable bilateral cooperation in the future,” he said.
The two-day Bunka Festival, a celebration of Japanese arts, food and traditions, featured more than 20 booths and interactive cultural workshops.
More than 100 students took part in stage performances and cultural showcases, including aikido and karate demonstrations, Japanese songs and choral performances, ikebana displays and tea-ceremony demonstrations.
Present at the launch were Consul-General of Japan in Penang Shinya Machida, Japan Graduates’ Association of Malaysia northern branch chairman Shaun Chiam Khai Seong, Brainway Event Management founder Richard Lim and Gurney Walk senior marketing executive Wan Nadia Ruslan.
