Cebu deemed strategic place to promote Malaysia tourism

CEBU, Philippines - Malaysia takes advantage of the “low airfare” phenomenon to attract more Filipinos to visit the “Truly Asia” country to enjoy the culture and wonderful sights it offers.

The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board recently opened its one-month customer assistance stall facility at the Ayala Center Cebu, in partnership with budget airline Cebu Pacific (CEB), in its bid to increase Filipino tourists going to Malaysia this year.

In an interview with Zakaria Mohd Nani the deputy director for international marketing division (South East Asia), he said that Cebu is a strategic location to promote Malaysia as it is the hub for the Southern Philippine region.

Over the years, Filipino tourist arrivals to Malaysia have increased. In 2010 alone, a total of 486,790 Filipinos visited the country, an 8.8 percent improvement compared to figures recorded in 2009.

This year, Nani said Malaysia is targeting to hit at least 555,000 Filipinos to visit the country, with its aggressive promotion campaign here.

The Cebu consumer promotion facility dubbed “Suroy-Suroy sa Malaysia Bai” hopes to encourage more Cebuanos to visit this exciting and leading tourist destination. Special tour packages with airfares, hotel accommodations, and tours are made available.

Moreover, he said that Malaysia is now also active in the promotion of its Medical Tourism, Education Tourism, Sports Tourism, as well as emphasizing other attractions such as shopping, among others.

The travel display is being organized by Ayala Center Cebu and Selrahco Management under its “Travel and Beyond” program.

Masrina Mohd Bakri, director for Tourism Malaysia and Cultural Attache, Embassy of Malaysia in the Philippines, said that aside from culture, food, and majestic sites that Filipinos can anticipate in their visit to Malaysia, tourists can also discover the good “home stay” program of the country, to encourage visitors to emerged in the Malaysian culture in the farms, coastal villages, among others.

Proud of its truly Asian culture, Bakri said the Malaysian government, through the Tourism Promotion Board has established the strengthening of its “home stay” program, accrediting over a thousand families to participate in this endeavor.

Tourists, from all over the world can have their own Malaysian culture immersion by availing of the popular home stay program, Bakri said.

The Philippines is the 8th largest tourism market for Malaysia in 2010. Nani hopes that with the active promotion of Malaysia to the Philippines, the rank will improve in the next few years.

To date, Singapore is Malaysia’s number one tourism market, Nani said.

Aside from opening the month-long customer assistance facility at the second floor of Ayala Center Cebu shopping mall, the Tourism Board also made close partnership with Cebu-based travel agents to offer attractive travel packages to Cebuanos and travelers from neighboring islands to come to Malaysia.

With this active promotion, Nani also hopes that more airlines will be able to see the potential of opening more direct flights from Cebu to Malaysia.