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Kurz expects interest
from UK senior market looking to visit Penang
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Qatar Airways’ new
thrice-weekly flights between Doha and Penang, commencing February 6, 2018, are
spurring hopes among Malaysian inbound agents of stronger European traffic to
the northern region of the country.
The new service will be
the first longhaul flight to Penang, an island destination that gets mostly air
connections with regional destinations in South-east Asia and North Asia.
Diethelm Travel Malaysia’s
managing director, Manfred Kurz, believes that the new flights are “perfect”
for promoting the northern region of Malaysia, where Penang is, to the
Europeans. Popular destinations in the north include Langkawi, Kedah, and the
Belum Temenggor Forest Reserve in Perak state.
Speaking to TTG Asia
at the recent ITB Asia 2017, Kur said: “I foresee the UK senior market will be
interested in these flights due to the country’s historical links with Penang.”
As the “Germans like to
move around more and tend to end their holiday with a beach stay”, Kurz
predicts that an open jaw arrangement would appeal to the travellers, where
they start off in Kuala Lumpur before proceeding overland to Perak (state) and
onward to Penang, and leaving for Doha on the new Qatar Airways flight.
The new flights are a boon
to Malaysia’s business events specialists too, opined Yap Sook Ling, managing
director, Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel.
She told TTG Asia
that the flights will “provide an opportunity to promote Penang for business
events and to attract more international conferences”.
Arokia Das, senior manager
at Luxury Tours Malaysia, agreed: “Penang is relatively new to the business
events scene. Corporates and associations intending to have their event in
South-east Asia will see Penang as a fresh option (due to the improved
access).”
And because “Qatar Airways
has a solid reputation and airfares are reasonable”, Arokia thinks it will be
easier now to sell Penang to the European market.
He added: “For the leisure
segment, we are looking at selling just Penang or combining Penang with East
Malaysia, which has rich eco-tourism and cultural offerings.”
Longhaul buyers at ITB
Asia 2017 are equally upbeat about the new air link.
Jesko Krengel, senior
product manager, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore at TUI Deutschland based in
Hannover, said: “Our (best selling) tours combine Singapore and Langkawi. The
new flights to Penang will provide us with options in creating new itineraries
for the northern region of Malaysia. Qatar Airways is known for its good
service and affordability, so promoting the airlines and the new route will not
be too hard.”
A new buyer to ITB Asia,
Joe Calstas, director general, board member at the Institute of Journalism and
Communication based in Geneva, Switzerland, said: “We are considering holding
seminars related to journalism in Penang, and improved longhaul connectivity
will certainly help.
“We will be meeting with
the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau at ITB Asia to know more about
the offerings in the state.”
Calstas shared that most
of those attending his association’s events in Asia are Europeans.
But when asked if the new
flights would boost Malaysia’s Middle Eastern footfalls, Ally Bhoonee, executive
director at World Avenues, said he didn’t think so.
“Most Middle Eastern
visitors to Malaysia are from Saudi Arabia, and in the past, many from Saudi
Arabia used Qatar Airways. With the ongoing sanctions (placed on Qatar by Saudi
Arabia), the new flights will only benefit Qataris and the expatriates living
in Qatar,” he explained.
-TTG Asia.
