GEORGE TOWN, Jan 10 ― Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today announced that the state recorded a 27 per cent increase in cruise passengers last year.

He said a total 449,885 passengers were recorded last year as compared to 354,047 passengers in 2018.

"The number of vessels arriving in Penang also increased from 185 to 198 last year,” he said at a press conference in Sia Boey before launching "The Path of Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2020” here.

Chow said five cruise liners made their maiden call to the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) last year.

These included the Pacific Jewel, Costa Luminosa, Spectrum of The Seas, Mein Schiff 6 and Norwegian Jade.

He said there was also a double-digit growth in passenger arrivals from Singapore, India, China, Australia, West Germany, UK, USA, South Korea and Japan.

"The top five countries with the highest increase are South Korea with an increase of 75.82 per cent, UK with an increase of 68.14 per cent, India with an increase of 51.56 per cent, China with an increase of 50.8 per cent and Australia with an increase of 44.9 per cent,” he said.

Among largre cruise liners that docked at SPCT included Quantum of The Seas and Ovation of The Seas by Royal Caribbean Cruisers and luxury liner Queen Mary II.

Penang Port Commission chairman Jeffrey Chew said plans to expand the SPCT to allow larger cruise liners to dock here are now underway.

"We expect to see more cruise passenger arrivals in 2020,” he said.