GEORGE TOWN: Penang is getting ambitious for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), targeting one million cruise passengers, a 30% increase from the 700,000 last year.
Another nine million visitors are expected to arrive via Penang International Airport (PIA), which will see more carriers landing.
International cruise calls are expected to grow from 120 to 170 this year, a rebound after last year’s sharp drop caused by the Red Sea crisis and tensions that disrupted Western routes, said Tourism Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin.
The Red Sea conflict saw shipping routes disrupted when Yemen’s Houthi militants attacked vessels in the strait leading to the Suez Canal.
Yeoh said Penang recorded around 1.5 million cruise passengers in 2024, but arrivals fell to about 700,000 in 2025 due to the attacks.
To boost the cruise industry, he said Tourism Malaysia would now include the sector in its RM50mil charter flight matching grant under the VM2026 campaign. Previously, the grant applied only to charter flights.
“Cruise operators or travel agents bringing ships to Malaysia, especially Penang, can apply,” he said after welcoming passengers at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) yesterday.
The charter flight matching grant is a government-funded incentive where the tourism authority reimburses part of the operating costs to encourage airlines and tour operators to add new routes, direct services or more frequent charter flights.
The welcoming ceremony yesterday, held in conjunction with the start of VM2026, was part of a nationwide initiative at 55 strategic entry points including airports, ports and transport hubs.
In Penang, similar events were held at the Penang International Airport and Penang Sentral.
Yeoh, who is also Penang Port Commission chairman, said Tourism Malaysia would intensify digital outreach through videos and social media, collaborating with opinion makers and food-themed events.
He said Penang’s famed cuisine and street food must continue to innovate so they can be presented in modern ways without losing their identity.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) aerodrome division general manager Mohd Zubir Mohd Meerah, meanwhile, said the airport is on track to handle 12 million passengers annually.
However, he expects about nine million people to arrive at PIA this year.
As of November 2025, the airport recorded about 7.5 million passengers (52% international and 48% domestic), with the year expected to close at 8.2 million.
He said eight new airlines began operations there in 2025, with two more confirmed for 2026 and additional carriers in the pipeline.
