GEORGE TOWN, May 7 — Penang is bracing for its annual durian season with hotels and orchards preparing to welcome a wave of enthusiasts from Malaysia, Singapore, and China.
GEORGE TOWN, May 7 — Penang is bracing for its annual durian season with hotels and orchards preparing to welcome a wave of enthusiasts from Malaysia, Singapore, and China.
Despite a delayed start this year, Penang Global Tourism has rolled out a fresh promotional push, offering curated durian travel packages beginning this month.
State executive councillor for tourism Wong Hon Wai, who officiated the launch of the updated promotional brochures and travel deals yesterday, said the campaign now extends beyond Southeast Asia.
“We’re promoting in countries like Singapore and Indonesia, as well as China, where demand for durians is strong,” he said.
Wong highlighted that with durians costing up to RMB258 (RM150) per kilogram in China, Malaysia’s affordability gives it a competitive edge.
This year’s durian season in Penang is expected to run from mid-May through July and into early August.
“The latest edition of our ‘Penang King of Fruits Durian Guide’ includes descriptions of durian varieties and listings of stalls and orchards,” Wong said, noting it features crowd favourites such as Musang King and D24.
There are 36 special durian travel deals on offer, combining hotel stays with durian buffets across Penang Island and Seberang Perai.
“We’ve also highlighted orchards in mainland areas like Sungai Bakap and Bukit Mertajam,” he added.
Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chairman Datuk Tony Goh said visitors can enjoy significant savings by opting for hotel-and-durian packages.
“Hotels collaborating with orchards offer packages that can save visitors RM80 to RM100 compared to planning visits independently,” he said.
Goh, who is also general manager of The St Giles Wembley and Cititel Express, said some hotels will include transportation to partner stalls and discounted durian buffet rates in their packages.
“These deals benefit both hotels through increased bookings and orchards through higher footfall and sales,” he said.
According to Goh, last year’s durian-themed packages were especially popular with tourists from China and Singapore, and similar growth is anticipated this year.
“We’re projecting a four to five per cent increase in room occupancy during the season,” he added.
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