The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) anticipates a surge in business events from India, following the launch of daily direct flights between Penang and Chennai by Indian carrier IndiGo in November 2024.
This is the first direct air connection between Penang and any Indian city, a milestone that PCEB has been pursuing for nearly seven years.
“Previously, Indian MICE travellers had to fly via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to reach Penang, which created a bottleneck and limited our ability to fully tap into the Indian market. The new direct flights have already started yielding results, with a surge in demand from India,” Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of PCEB, told TTGmice on the sidelines of the 8th Edition of the Penang Roadshow to India 2025.
During an interview in New Delhi on January 15, Gunasekeran further revealed that over 3,000 Indian delegates are expected to visit Penang in June 2025 for a conference, underscoring the growing interest in the Malaysian state.
Malaysia has also officially extended its visa exemption for Indian nationals until December 31, 2026. This exemption allows Indian visitors to enter Malaysia visa-free for up to 30 days, significantly simplifying the travel process.
PCEB is currently in talks with IndiGo to open another direct air route connecting Penang to northern India. “We can see India among our top five international source markets for MICE in the next year,” said Gunasekeran.
Apart from New Delhi, PCEB stopped in Mumbai (January 13), Kolkata (January 17), and Chennai (January 20) as part of the roadshow. Each destination drew an attendance of approximately 200 buyers and 30 media representatives.
Of the 300,000 international delegates who visited Penang in 2024, an estimated 10 to 15 per cent hailed from India. These delegates participated in a wide range of international conferences across sectors like medicine, pharmaceuticals, science, and finance. Additionally, the island experienced a surge in incentive travel, particularly driven by multi-level marketing companies in India organising achievement programmes for their top performers.
