9th Edition of Penang Roadshow to India Drives Business Events and Tourism Momentum for Visit Malaysia Year 2026
Guided by the theme ‘Simply Penang’, the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) returns to India with the ninth edition of the Penang Roadshow to India in 2026, reaffirming Penang’s long-standing engagement with the Indian market while strengthening bilateral ties across tourism and business events.
Taking place from 19 to 27 January 2026, the multi-city roadshow will travel across Mumbai (19 January), New Delhi (21 January), Kochi (23 January) and Chennai (27 January). Across these four key markets, the programme is set to engage over 800 qualified buyers and more than 100 media representatives, creating direct connections with decision-makers from the leisure, corporate, incentive and meetings sectors.
Now firmly established as a strategic platform for destination promotion, business matching and sustained market engagement, the Penang Roadshow to India reflects the destination’s focused approach to one of its most resilient source markets. India continues to play a pivotal role in Penang’s tourism and business events growth, with demand spanning leisure travel, MICE and incentive segments.
As of November 2025, Penang welcomed over 42,367 Indian visitors, a notable increase that has seen India rise from outside the top ten in 2024 to become one of Penang’s top six international source markets. This growth highlights India’s strategic importance as Penang strengthens its global outreach in the lead-up to Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Travel accessibility continues to support this momentum, with the visa exemption for Indian nationals extended until 31 December 2026, enhancing ease of travel and reinforcing Malaysia and Penang as attractive destinations for both tourism and business events.
Penang’s performance in the business events segment remains strong. Up to November 2025, the destination hosted more than 2,900 business events, generating an estimated economic impact of RM1.3 billion, with final year-end figures currently being consolidated. These results reflect Penang’s mature business events ecosystem, supported by robust infrastructure, professional services and the ability to deliver high-value events across sectors.
The continued growth of conferences, exhibitions, incentive programmes and corporate events further positions Penang as a destination that contributes meaningfully to economic development, knowledge exchange and destination branding.
Looking ahead, Visit Malaysia Year 2026 marks a significant milestone for the country’s tourism strategy, aimed at elevating Malaysia’s global profile and accelerating international arrivals. For Penang, this presents a timely opportunity to expand international engagement, attract higher-yield visitors and reinforce its position as a leading destination for both leisure travel and business events.
Initiatives such as the Penang Roadshow to India 2026 play a critical role in advancing this agenda by strengthening market confidence, deepening partnerships and ensuring Penang remains front of mind among global travel and events decision-makers.
As Penang moves into the next phase of growth, PCEB remains focused on strategic market development, sustainable expansion and long-term value creation, ensuring the destination continues to perform strongly on the global stage while supporting national tourism objectives under Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
