GEORGE TOWN: The political turmoil in Thailand has been a blessing in disguise for hotels in Penang which have seen a surge in the number of enquiries and bookings for the next six months from European and even Eastern markets.

While the shift has not been strong, Malaysian Association of Hotels (Penang chapter) chairman Marco Battistotti said there were at least 14,000 additional room nights which have been booked at four- and five-star hotels in Penang until October.

Battistotti, who is also the general manager of the G Hotel, said although it was nothing major, there had been evidence of a shift in the last three to four weeks.

"This time is not at all like last year when there was also trouble in Thailand. Major European tour operators asked for additional room allocations for the entire summer.

"This means a shift of some business from southern Thailand and also other parts of Thailand to Penang," he said.

Between June and October, there have been requests for 40 to 45 extra rooms which translates into 12,000 more additional room nights, Battistotti added.

The requests are coming not only from Europe but also from China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

"The Chinese tour operators usually do Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore together but now, they are only doing Malaysia and Singapore.

"There has also been an encouraging increase of bookings from Japan with a request for additional 1,000 to 2,000 room nights in the next three to four months," Battistotti told The Edge Financial Daily.

Meanwhile, Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman, director of communications of Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and the Golden Sands Resort also confirmed the increase in bookings at the sister hotels.

"We believe that Penang has benefited from the political situation in Thailand as it is seen as a safer and more secure destination," he said.

Both the Shangri-La resorts in Penang have seen an increase in group enquiries for company events and retreats, from Malaysia and the region, namely Singapore.

Suleiman said a press group from the United States who originally meant to visit Bangkok changed its itinerary to Penang and would be hosted by Shangri-La.

"The publicity that would be generated by these journalists is definitely a bonus for the island and we have to capitalise on such opportunities, be it from media visits, corporate retreats or individual travellers, to further promote Penang," Suleiman added.

E & O Hotel Penang's general manager Michael Saxon also echoed Suleiman's comments.

"One of the positive aspects of Malaysian tourism is that it is consistently stable, affordable and safe. This is what keeps us continuously in the mainstream of Asian tourism," Saxon told The Edge Financial Daily.

He said other Asian countries have their strong and weak points with some destinations reasonably priced but the unstable political climate and threats of terrorism work against them.

"The recent problems in Thailand have sent business our way, even the volcanic ash also meant more tourists came here.

"While we do not hope to benefit from others' misery and hope the problems in Thailand do not continue, we are thankful for the extra business which we are more than willing to take up," he added.

Saxon said the hotel had a few groups, including a group of Australian journalists who were supposed to go to Bangkok to film a street food documentary.

"They couldn't go there and came to Penang instead and we got significant business from them," he added.

However, Saxon warned that for Malaysia to continue to do well in the long term, it could not rely on diverted business.

"We have to take care of our business and the political stability, safety and affordability keep us as a big player in the Asian tourism industry.

"Japan and Singapore are safe, too but they are too expensive while Thailand is not stable."

He said the Malaysian tourism industry will have to continue to improve in order to remain in the mainstream of the Asian tourism industry. As for hotels, they will have to have competitive service standards, updated facilities and qualified staff.