Great travel deals return | The Star

FEED your wanderlust this weekend by visiting MATTA Fair Penang at Setia SPICE Arena in Bayan Lepas.

There are great deals to be had this Saturday and Sunday for both international and domestic destinations, whether it is a family getaway, romantic escape, group tour, solo adventure or even a leisurely cruise.

MATTA Penang Chapter chairman Carolyn Leong said there would be 261 booths occupied by over 100 exhibitors, comprising travel agents, airlines, hoteliers, attractions and service providers, which is a 70% increase over last year’s 153 booths.

“We expect around 30,000 visitors over the two days and are targeting overall sales of around RM25mil to RM30mil,” Leong said in a press conference in Komtar.

She said that local getaways are currently quite popular as consumers look to get more value for their ringgit.

Tourism Malaysia Northern Region and their counterparts from Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Melaka, Terengganu and Langkawi will be present to highlight their latest offerings.

With it being autumn in the northern hemisphere and winter and springtime coming up next, those preferring a cooler escapade should drop by the booths of Taiwan and South Korea.

Other destinations like China, Hong Kong and Australia remain popular, while in Europe the prime options include the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, to name a few.

Visitors can also look forward to low airfares from the travel fair’s official airlines Malaysia Airlines and Firefly, and many other partnering carriers. Leading cruise lines will also have enticing packages.

“The upcoming fair is a celebration of the incredible diversity of experiences that Malaysia and the wider world has to offer.

“It will be your gateway to countless possibilities,” Leong said, adding that prizes worth over RM200,000 are up for grabs in the buyers’ lucky draw.

Prizes include Malaysia Airlines business class return tickets to Tokyo, Adelaide and Bangkok, and Firefly return tickets to Medan, Phuket and Langkawi.

There are open tickets to any destination in Vietnam or Australia by Vietnam Airlines and Qantas respectively, as well as tickets to Taipei on China Airlines, Bangkok on Thai Airways, Saigon and Hong Kong on AirAsia, and Medan on Citilink, to be won.

Hwajing Travel and Tours has also sponsored a three-day two-night cruise aboard the Costa Serena departing Penang, and an eight–day seven-night Mediterranean jaunt around Spain, Italy and France aboard the Costa Toscana departing from Barcelona.

Visitors can also win a four-night Star Cruises package.

State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai urged those with the travel bug to take advantage of the golden opportunity to secure the best bargains.

He said that the fair “not only boosts tourism to our beautiful state but also strengthens the bonds that hold our industry together.”

Also present were Malaysian Association of Hotels national vice-president Datuk Khoo Boo Lim, Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan and event partner representatives.