Penang Trishaw Entourage receives overwhelming response from Sabahans

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KOTA KINABALU: The Penang Trishaw Entourage has received an overwhelming response from the folks in Sabah.

Penang Global Tourism CEO, Ooi Chok Yan, said the campaign is aimed at engaging visitors to see, try, experience and taste a little bit of Penang in Sabah.

This is done, among others, by flying in four handmade trishaws all the way from Penang to Kota Kinabalu so the folks can have a free ride on one of the island’s heritage.

Besides that, visitors also enjoyed a free caricature by Malaysia Book of Records caricaturist, Mohd Azmi, given a chance to savor Penang’s flaky Tau Sar Pneah and win prizes such as hotel stay vouchers, entrance tickets to new Penang attractions from the Tikam-Tikam wall and Puzzle Corner, as well as bring Penang home.

“We wanted to bring a mini Penang to Kota Kinabalu for the people to experience. In the past three days, the response has been overwhelming. People are always seen queuing for the caricature and trishaw rides. We think that people have enjoyed it and we have reached our target,” explained Ooi.

“I also hope that after they have experienced this teaser, they would book their ticket and have a three-day or five-day break in Penang by taking advantage of the direct flights to Penang from KK,” he said, adding that Penang saw 6.67 million in domestic and international passenger traffic last year.

The Penang Trishaw Entourage had originally been an international campaign with more than well-received showcases in five international cities; Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok and Taipei in 2015.

Other than the positive response, the 2015 campaign bagged two bronze trophies at the Marketing Events Awards 2016 (regional awards show for Southeast Asia, South Asia and ANZ regions) and another at the PMAA Dragons of Malaysia 2016.

This year, state tourism bureau Penang Global Tourism brought the international campaign to the domestic arena and kicked-off its roadshow on May 5 in Johor and then to Seremban, Melaka, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

A ‘mini Penang city’ and trishaws, which had dwindled to 200 in numbers in George Town alone. Ooi said there are only three Penangites left that are skilled and dedicated to the two-month long construction of the handmade island heritage.

Penang Global Tourism also featured Penang’s new attractions, such as the Escape Theme Park, Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm, The Habitat at Penang Hill, THE TOP@Komtar, Tech Dome Penang and Design Village Outlet Mall during the campaign.

For further information on the globally acclaimed Penang and its extensive event listing, visit http://mypenang.gov.my.

More can also be found on Penang Global Tourism’s e-coupon system on the same website and its mobile app.