GEORGE TOWN, July 16 (Bernama) — Tourism industry players in Penang are urged to immediately adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technology to increase competitiveness, strengthen digital marketing and meet changing global tourism travel patterns to attract more tourists.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the implementation of AI is no longer an option, but rather a necessity in line with the country’s direction following the launch of the AI action plan at the federal level which is a comprehensive vision encompassing the government, industry and society.
“AI technology is now increasingly being used in the global tourism industry, including hotel services, digital marketing and destination recommendations and food premises for tourists.
”Hoteliers, restaurants and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to strengthen their digital marketing strategies by leveraging AI-generated platforms to ensure their businesses are more easily found by customers,” he told reporters after officiating the Penang Digitalisation Al Conference and Exhibition (PDX 2026) at Setia Spice Convention Centre in Bayan Baru, here today.
The two-day PDX 2026, which began today, brought together more than 100 people comprising businesses, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and young innovators from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, China and Japan.
Commenting on the promotion of Penang’s food, Wong said the state is now in the Michelin Guide along with Kuala Lumpur, thus putting it on the radar of international tourists looking for the best food destinations and increasing the state’s visibility among tourists international.
He said tourists from China are now using digital platforms such as Dazhong Dianping which also leverages AI to get recommendations for restaurants and food premises in the state.
“When Penang is in the Michelin Guide and Dazhong Dianping, it means that the state’s name has been placed on the world tourism map, therefore restaurant operators need to ensure that their businesses have a strong digital presence so that they can be more easily found through this platform,” he said.
Wong explained that the federal government has launched the national AI roadmap while the state government through the Digital Penang agency is also actively promoting digital transformation in various sectors including tourism.
In this regard, he said the state government will continue to explore various digital and AI solutions to strengthen the tourism ecosystem and ensure that Penang remains a destination of choice for world tourists.
— BERNAMA