Philippines Eyes More Malaysian Tourists

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- Tourist spots and the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines have been recognised as assets to attract more Malaysians to visit the country. Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya said the country is eager to promote the Philippines among Malaysian travellers thus boosting the number of Malaysian tourist arrivals. He said some 91,752 Malaysian tourists visited the Philippines last year, while 362,000 Filipinos visited Malaysia during the same period. "As roughly three Filipino tourists visit Malaysia for every one Malaysian visiting the Philippines, it is about time for more Malaysians to discover Philippines' tourism destinations," he told Bernama at the Philippines Tourism Fair here Friday. The maiden event involving a joint promotional campaign between the embassy and Philippine's Department of Tourism kicked off Friday at the main concourse area of Berjaya Times Square and will last until Sunday. The tourism fair showcased the various Philippines' tourism destinations with special promotion tour packages made available to visitors through the Consortium of Malaysian travel agents marketing the Philippine tours. "We hope this tourism fair will serve as another avenue for our Malaysian neighbour to discover the Philippines and more importantly, for Malaysians and Filipinos to visit each other's country and get to know each other better," said Malaya. He said with 7,107 islands, the Philippines offered a wide array of tourism products for foreign tourists ranging from natural attractions, culture, adventure and shopping. "The list of sights to see is endless. The world famous whitesand beaches of Boracay, Palawan and the Caramoan peninsula, world class surfing in Siargo, the unique indegenous people's culture of Sagada and the Mountain Provinces. "The breathtaking sights of Mayon and Taal Volcanoes, the seafood delights of Davao and world class shopping havens of Manila and Cebu and also the warmth and hospitality of Filipinos," he said. Malaya said the World Heritage sites in the Philippines are the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, the Rice Terraces in the Cordilleras, the historic town of Vigan, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Baroque churches of Iloilo, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Manila. "The opening of new air routes between the Philippines and Malaysia are expected to provide more opportunities to people from both countries to discover the beauty and richness of tourism destinations," he added. -- BERNAMA