Malaysian hotels, orchards launch durian tour packages to attract customers

36 durian travel packages will be available for visitors between May and August this year, featuring hotel stays and durian buffet options on both the island and Seberang Perai, a nearby city.

These packages make it cost-effective for tourists to opt for hotel and durian consumption during this season, said Malaysian Association of Hoteliers Penang chairman Datuk Tony Goh, as reported by Malay Mail.

"Some hotels will partner with durian orchards that offer good packages so visitors who take up those packages will pay probably RM80 to RM100 (US$18.7-23.3) less compared to going to the orchards on their own," he said.

Opened durians seen on a table. Photo by Unsplash/Jim Teo

Penang Global Tourism has initiated marketing efforts for special durian travel packages for the season beginning this month.

"We are not only promoting this in Southeast Asia such as Singapore and Indonesia but also in China because many of them love durians," said Wong Hon Wai, chairman of Tourism & Creative Economy at Penang.

Wong noted that durians in China are priced higher than in Malaysia, making Malaysia an appealing destination for durian lovers.

"Our newly updated Penang King of Fruits Durian Guide will feature information about the types of durians available and lists of durian stalls and orchards," he said.

The guide seeks to educate visitors about the range of durians, including well-liked varieties such as Musang King and D24, and their locations.

Goh said that some hotels will provide reduced room rates and combine them with lower-priced durian buffet deals.

"Like our hotels, we will bring them to the durian stalls we are partnering with for the durian buffet packages they signed up for," he said.

These packages provide a direct boost to hotels through increased reservations and to orchards through elevated sales.

Goh added that last year, the promotional durian and travel packages were warmly welcomed, particularly by tourists from China and Singapore.

"We can expect an increase in room occupancy rates during this period of about 4-5%," he said.