Penang’s tourism sector received a significant boost with the arrival of Spring Airlines’ inaugural direct flight from Shanghai, reinforcing the state’s growing popularity among Chinese travellers and strengthening air connectivity in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
Spring Airlines is China’s largest and first low-cost carrier, headquartered in Shanghai and founded in 2004.
Penang Island in northern Malaysia offers many unique attractions ranging from its unique cultural heritageto its street food. It also features two main UNESCO recognitions, with its capital city, George Town, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve designated in 2021.
Penang’s tourism performance has continued to strengthen post-pandemic, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In 2025, passenger traffic at Penang International Airport reached 7.9 million, up from 7.47 million in 2024, representing a 5.8% increase.
Chinese airlines adding more flights to Penang
In addition to its daily Shanghai-Penang service, Spring Airlines also commenced a direct Guangzhou–Penang route in February 2026, operating three times weekly. In December last year, the airline also launched a daily Shanghai–Kuala Lumpur service.
With the introduction of the Shanghai service, Penang is now connected to six major Chinese cities — Chengdu, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Shanghai — through scheduled direct flights operated by 10 airlines, providing extensive coverage across East, South, and Southwest China.
With the addition of these routes, Penang’s international direct flight frequency has increased to 335 flights per week, up from 325 as of December 2025.
Further expansions are lined up, with Qingdao Airlines set to launch a Qingdao–Penang service on 31 March, followed by a Chongqing–Penang route by Chongqing Airlines on 8 April.
China is Malaysia and Penang’s second largest international source market
A visa exemption scheme for Chinese visitors has proven effective in promoting economic growth through the tourism industry which has seen a significant increase in tourist arrivals from China. The visa exemption allows Chinese tourists to stay in Malaysia for up to 90 days, up from 30 days previously.
Malaysia welcomed 42 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, representing an 11.2 per cent increase year-on-year. Of this total, 4.7 million visitors were from China, reaffirming China as Malaysia’s second-largest source market.
China has emerged as a key growth driver. Since January 2025, China has become Penang’s second-largest international source market, overtaking Singapore. More significantly, visitors from China accounted for over 40% of the overall increase in Penang’s tourist arrivals in 2025.
Malaysia aims to welcome 47 million visitors in 2026 in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026. The tourism ministry would continue rolling out various measures to draw more tourists, encourage longer stays and boost spending. It is also prioritising improved accessibility through increased flight frequencies, alongside tourism and cultural programmes, including business events.
