The Penang government launched the Penang Experience Year 2020 with The Diversity of Asia tagline to usher in the excitement of Visit Malaysia Year 2020. State Tourism, Heritage, Culture and Arts committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the launching of Experience Penang Year 2020 with hashtag #EPY2020 is an inspiration in line with the rise in demand for experiential travel.

"Experience becomes the keyword with millennials and travellers Instagram-ing their way through their travels. It is our inspiration behind Experience Penang Year 2020. Our tagline The Diversity of Asia is a testament to Penang's rich diversity reflected through its heritage, culture, arts, and the many aspects which made Penang one of the most memorable places to visit in Asia," he said in his speech at the EPY 2020 ceremony officiated by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Yeoh who is also Penang State Exco For Tourism Development, Arts, Culture And Heritage (PETACH) said for Experience Penang Year 2020, the government wanted to capture both domestic and international travellers.

"Tourism is commonly focused on international travellers but the presence of domestic travellers is very important to generate economically sustainable and consistent revenue from tourism. Evident from the slide, a 2018 Penang Tourist Survey by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), revealed that while 79.7 per cent of foreign tourists were first-timers. It is the opposite with domestic travellers with 77.2 per cent of them being repeat visitors."

"As such we have consistently introduced a variety of high-quality tourism products across the island and mainland. We have to gain both the interest of first-time visitors and renew the interest of tourists who have been here before. Aligned with Penang 2030 vision, it is our mission to launch a targeted marketing campaign for the international and domestic market. This is in order to attract higher-value tourists and increase average tourists spending and length of stay," he said.

Yeoh also said according to the Penang Tourist Survey 2018 by USM, currently, the average expenditure per visitor per visit stands at RM934.88 with an average stay of 4.86 nights.

"While 47.5 per cent of the tourists were repeating visitors, the average revisit intention was 4.03 over 5 and we achieved a satisfaction score of 3.86 over 5. We need the full support of the stakeholders and tourism players."

"Every segment of the industry plays a role in delivering the services and enhancing the experience of locals through higher quality customer service. Tourists who enjoy their stay are more than likely to spread the word about their positive experience and social media and garner interest about Penang," he said.