PENANG is seeing an increase in domestic tourist arrivals after the interstate travel ban was lifted during the recovery movement control order (MCO) phase. Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said beach hotels have seen a 60% increase in occupancy during the weekends, while city hotels have seen an increase of 30%. “Business has not picked up on weekdays yet but that could be because we do not have foreign tourists, as well as those travelling for business purposes. “Once this begins, the numbers will definitely pick up,” he said during the launch of the penangtraveldeals.com website at The Wembley – A St Giles’ Hotel in George Town on Monday. Similarly, tourist attractions have recorded a 50% increase in admission during weekends. State tourism, arts, culture and heritage committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said following the encouraging figures, he was hopeful that Penang’s tourism industry would rebound sooner than expected. “Commitment by the state government and cooperation from stakeholders will reactivate tourism in the state. “The launching of this new website penangtraveldeals.com is an example of a way to attract more visitors to the Pearl of the Orient. “The website features the best hotel and attraction deals in the state, and will be pushed as an ideal platform for hotels and attractions to advertise their ongoing promotions. “With the loosening of internal travel restrictions, people can look forward to the unveiling of more tourism-related campaigns here. “We aim to offer more choices for domestic tourists,” he said. Yeoh said there are currently 40 participating partners featured in the website. “The first campaign via the website is called ‘Jom! Experience Penang’. “Penang is ideal for domestic travellers who need a change of scenery or to escape the confines of their home after the opening of state borders. “We will also have a Penang Covid-19 safety accreditation standard, given out to eligible hotels very soon. “This will further boost tourism in Penang, as well as it being a green state for more than two months now. “At least visitors here can be further assured of their health and safety,” he added. Yeoh said now was the right time for Malaysians to visit Penang with the many deals and offers. He said various attractions here had ensured full compliance with the new normal standard operating procedures. Also present were Association of Tourism Attractions Penang (Atap) chairman Ch’ng Huck Theng and Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan.