Benefits of small group travel

By ARNOLD LOH and RENA LIM

GEORGE TOWN: Deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism is slowly inching back
to life but with smaller groups of visitors enjoying a higher quality of holiday experience.

While in the past, a busload of 40 tourists might have been the norm, travellers in the new norm
now prefer quality over quantity in smaller private groups of 20 friends or family members, or
even less.

With smaller groups on private tours, they could expect to be taken to places not “covered in
the guidebooks”, said Penang Tourist Guides Association (PTGA) vice-president Clement
Liang.

“We have time to show our tourists the nooks and corners, our little old shops in the back lanes
that outsiders don’t know about,” he said, adding that this would afford them an experience
previously not enjoyed.

Although such tours would be a little costlier, small group, said Liang, allowed for greater
flexibility and a tailor-made experience.

“It is a customised tour package and long ago, this was how it was done. Because of the
pandemic, this old way is returning,” he said, advising travellers to rely on reputable travel
agents registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.

Also expressing his happiness with the growing trend of private tours is Malaysian Association
of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang.

“That was the essence of travel. You go to another place for no other reason than to immerse
yourself in a different culture. You taste their food and see how they make and sell things.

“Then, when you go home, you mix all those new insights with your daily life and create
something new,” said Tan.

Somehow, at the height of mass tourism before Covid-19 struck, all that was lost, he said.

“People went in big groups, rushed through places, took a few photos to prove they were there
and left. It was touch and go, and the real purpose of tourism was lost.
“But because of the pandemic, big groups won’t be happening. So, although the tourism
industry has suffered greatly, it looks like the essence of travel is now coming back,” he said.

Tan said the MATTA Fair on Nov 20 to 21 would be aimed at kick-starting the tourism industry
with the added value of an immersive experience for travellers.

“As we reset, I call on all tour operators to be aware that travellers are price-sensitive now.
Let’s make sure we meet the customers’ budgets,” he added.

Among the local guides getting back into action in Penang is Joann Khaw, a full-time licensed
guide since 1993.

Khaw recently brought a French family living in Kuala Lumpur on a walking tour of George
Town’s heritage enclave and before that, a large family from Kuala Lumpur who wanted to go
on a “foodie” trip.

Khaw described leading a small group as “joyous” because it gave her the chance to thoroughly
explain the little details, such as the ones on Penang’s heritage buildings.

“I could help them appreciate the progression of the architecture of our pre-war houses over
the centuries,” she added.

PTGA president P.C. Chin said Penang’s licensed guides would soon be given special training
on maintaining strict Covid-19 precautions during guided tours.

“Tour guides must lead in helping travellers stay safe from the virus. Sometimes, in the
excitement of visiting new places, they might forget themselves.

“So it is the job of the guides to make sure that basic rules like physical distancing and constant
sanitising are always practised,” said Chin.