GEORGE TOWN, Jan 23 — Penang recorded an increase in cruise tourism last year with the arrival of a total of 573,178 international tourists at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT), after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.
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State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said this figure shows a significant increase, which is 30.56 per cent, compared to 439,012 international tourists in 2022.
He said the statistics of tourism profiles from docking of cruise ships in Penang last year shows the diversity of tourists from all over the world with tourists from Singapore ranking first, followed by India and Indonesia.
“If compared to international tourist arrivals of 409,943 in 2019, the figure for 2023 shows an increase of 39.82 per cent.
“This significant recovery shows that the Penang cruise tourism has achieved a better performance compared to the year before the pandemic. This has…