State tourism and creative economy committee chairman, Yeoh Soon Hin, said the MoU signing was the result of his previous mission where he represented the Penang state government in signing a letter of intent with Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) on June 20.

“This MoU reflects the tremendous progress Penang has made in our pursuit to establish more linkages and bridges with our tourism counterparts, including a tourism powerhouse like Langkawi.

“Both destinations have Unesco sites, which are basically the essence of the MoU. We look forward to activating our cooperation with Langkawi in many areas, ranging from tourism promotion to connectivity, cultural exchanges and geotourism,” he told reporters after the MoU signing ceremony.

Yeoh said it was imperative for both destinations to leverage on their respective Unesco-recognised attractions to yield benefits not only for the authorities, but also for the industry players and visitors.

The MoU was signed between the deputy secretary to the Penang state government (management) Ahmad Rizal Mohd Hanapiah and Lada chief executive officer Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.

Yeoh also said that Penang would continue its efforts to tap into existing and new markets for both leisure and business tourism to ensure that the state would remain at the forefront of Malaysia and Southeast Asia’s tourism landscape.