MATTA wants Penang to do more

More needs to be done to promote tourism in Penang, and the relevant tourism authorities should redouble their efforts and re-examine their policies.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agencies (MATTA) Penang Chapter chairman Johari Shafie said that stakeholders risked losing out in the long run if certain aspects were not looked into. With tourism one of the biggest contributors to the state’s economy, Johari said that a booming industry was in the best interests of everyone — from hotel operators to taxi drivers and trishawmen.

He believed that the lack of new tourism products in the state has contributed to a gradual decline in arrivals from certain markets, as tourists set their sights on other destinations around the region which offer more to see and do. “They’re looking for new attractions, and some of ours just don’t fulfil their needs. “Competing destinations have, in recent times, expanded and developed their offerings, and we have been left behind,” he said at a meet-the-press session at Cititel Penang yesterday.

Johari also urged the authorities to do away with the recently imposed age limit for tourist vehicles, saying that it lacked economic sense in the current global climate. “It is hard for operators to purchase new vehicles whilst having to charge similar rates and compete with illegal operators, and make ends meet,” he said.

“With 65% of limousines in the state being over 10 years old, most would need to be removed from service soon. And when that happens, who is going to ferry tourists around?” He said all these were bad for the local tourism industry, as it discourages new players from coming in. “Many operators have shifted their business elsewhere,” he added.

The association also urged the authorities to allocate more parking spaces at tourist attractions, erect signs in multiple languages, and station more tourist police around certain areas to attend to visitors’ needs.

-thestar online.