Malaysia eyes stronger trade relations with Phl

CEBU, Philippines - Malaysia foresees stronger ties with the Philippines particularly in the field of tourism, encouraging more Filipinos to come and visit the country.

Tourism Malaysia Manila office director Fazdila Mansor said that the country aims to promote Malaysia as the preferred destination for the Philippine market and attract more Filipino tourists.

Tourism Malaysia, also known as the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia.

Last year, Malaysia registered 25 million tourist arrivals and Malaysian Ringgit 60.6 billion in tourist receipts, placing the country as the 10th most popular tourism destination in the world.

In 2012, the country recorded a total of 508,744 Filipinos who visited Malaysia.  Also, arrivals from the Philippines for the first half of 2013 were recorded to be at 277,378 which was an increase of 16.5 percent compared to the same period in 2012.

Mansor, seeking the continued support from Filipinos to visit Malaysia, said that Tourism Malaysia is confident to reach the target of attracting 520,000 Filipino tourists to Malaysia this year.

She cited that Filipinos and Malaysians share similarities in terms of hospitality, friendliness, optimism, culture and values.

“It is easy for us to understand each other. We share a lot in common,” she said.

She added that Malaysia offers a worthwhile experience for those who visit the country given the diverse tourist attractions and affordable tour packages.

In 2014, Malaysia will celebrate its fourth Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) with the theme “Celebrating Malaysia Truly Asia.”

It is expected to contribute to the government’s target to receive 36 million tourist arrivals and Malaysian Ringgit 168 billion in receipts by 2020 as outlined in the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan 2020.

To boost awareness of the VMY 2014, Tourism Malaysia organized a business session and gala night among Philippine trade members and Malaysian delegates in Cebu at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel last Friday.

The same business session was also held in Solaire Resort Manila last October 3. Tourism Malaysia also conducted four consumer road shows in Manila, Iloilo and Bacolod last week.

In 2012, Malaysia was dubbed as the ninth most visited country in the world by the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the 10th friendliest country in the world by Forbes Online.

Also in the same year, Kuala Lumpur ranked fourth among the top 10 shopping cities in the world in a survey conducted by CNN and was voted the second best shopping destination in the Asia Pacific by Globe Shopper Index.

Malaysia, as a shopping center, boasts of its three annual sale seasons, duty-free shopping, attractive exchange rate, world-class malls, trendy street bazaars, excellent infrastructure and home to Southeast Asia’s first premium outlet.

The country also prides itself as a golfing paradise having over 200 golf courses and as a perfect getaway for urban dwellers to relax with Malaysia’s highland resorts.

Malaysia shall be hosting the ASEAN Tourism Forum from January 16 to 23 of next year in Kuching, Sarawak. It will be attended by tourism ministers, senior officials, tourism industry players, and international media and is set to kick off VMY 2014.

The Malaysian delegation is comprised of 31 organizations including Johor Tourism Department, Sabah Tourism Board, Labuan Corporation, KidZania Kuala Lumpur, Legoland Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit and Regency Hotel. /JOB (FREEMAN)