PENANG, 30 SEPTEMBER 2014 – The Ministry of Tourism & Culture and Tourism Malaysia Penang has partnered with the Penang Tourist Guide Association (PTGA) and the Attraction of Tourism Product Penang (ATAP), to launch the ‘Penang Museum Trail’, a do-it-yourself tour of Penang’s many museums. The event was officiated by the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism & Culture himself, En. Rashidi Hasbullah at Fort Cornwallis early this morning.

The trail will guide tourists to 20 thematic museums around the state of Penang, guided by a free detailed map, and a special pass that can be bought to provide discounts on entry fees. It aims to educate tourists on Penang’s multitude of museums, as well as encourage tourists to include them as part of their itinerary.

The special museum pass will be on sale for RM10, providing a 30% discount on entry fees for up to four people per pass. It is transferable with no expiry date.

The map will provide tourists with a detailed guide to the various museums in Penang, such as the Penang Peranakan Museum, the Batik Painting Museum, the My Natural Crystal Museum, (currently the Largest Natural Crystal Museum in the country), the Toy Museum, and many others. Tourists can also look forward to upcoming museums such as the Colonial Penang Museum, the Teddy Bear Museum, and the Train Museum.

This DIY trail is part of the government’s initiative to highlight Penang as an exciting tourist destination, and increase tourist arrivals in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year, as well as the Malaysia Year of Festivals and Visit Penang Year campaigns which begin in 2015.

From January to June 2014, arrivals to Penang through the two entry points, namely the Penang International Airport and the Penang Port, were 572,084 and 53,432 tourists respectively. It signified that Penang remains a top tourist destination not only in Malaysia but also in South East Asia.

For more information, please contact Mr. Logi Dhasan Thanaraj, Senior Tourism Officer, Tourism Malaysia Pulau Pinang, at 04-261 0058 or via email at logi@tourism.gov.my.

ENDS

For more media releases, media info and media features on Malaysia’s tourism industry, kindly visit the Media Centre of Tourism Malaysia’s website at http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/

MALASIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2013, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM65.4 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner and the sixth highest contributor to its Gross National Income (GNI).

Malaysia is celebrating its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The VMY 2014 promotional campaign has started in 2013 with a series of year-long special events and activities leading to VMY 2014. It will contribute to the Government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area).    

Through the Tourism NKEA, collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination. The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism.  

Press contact:
Media & Publicity Unit:
Azizah Aziz (Ms), Senior Deputy Director, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8752
Email: azizahaziz@tourism.gov.my

Editorial Unit:
Anis Rozalina Ramli (Ms), Senior Editor, Communications & Publicity Division
Tel: +603-8891 8759
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my