Penang:The 'Hello Penang' campaign is set to boost domestic tourism by targeting 10,000 hotel room bookings in Penang, encouraging Malaysians to explore local destinations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the campaign is a pilot project resulting from a collaboration between Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysian Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA), and online booking platform Trip.com. It is open to one-to three-star hotels in Penang.

The initiative focuses on offering discounted hotel accommodations via the Trip.com platform, providing travelers with more options and attractive deals. The campaign, launched by Abdul Hadi Che Man, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region Director, in Penang, involves Penang MyBHA as the coordinator and Trip.com as the official platform for marketing and bookings.

Running from October 7 to 27, 2026, the campaign offers a RM20 per night discount for bookings made through Trip.com, valid for stays until April 30, 2027. It aims to compete with neighboring countries by offering competitive accommodation rates to the domestic market.

Penang is serving as a pilot project before expanding to other states like Perak. The campaign also supports budget hotels in promoting their strategic locations and affordable rates, despite fewer facilities compared to larger hotels. With 70 members, MyBHA supports state efforts to regulate short-term rental accommodations to ensure balanced tourism development and fair competition for hotel operators.