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 was
eager to promote the Philippines among Malaysian travelers 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 Filipinos tourists visit Malaysia for every one Malaysian
visiting the Philippines, it is about time for more Malaysians to discover
Philippine tourism destinations," he told Bernama at the Philippines Tourism
Fair here today.
The maiden event involving a joint promotional campaign between the
embassy and Philippine''s Department of Tourism, kicked off today at the main
concourse area of Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur until this Sunday.
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PHILIPPINES-TOURISM 2 KUALA LUMPUR
The tourism fair showcased the various Philippine tourism destinations with
special promotion tour packages made available to visitors through the
Consortium of Malaysian travel agents marketing the Philippine tours.
"There is a robust two-way tourism travel between the Philippines and
Malaysia, creating additional opportunities not only for our countries, but
also to help expand each other''s tourism industries.
"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," he
said.
Malaya 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 white-sand 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.
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PHILIPPINES-TOURISM 3 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
"The breath-taking 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 were
expected to provide more opportunities to people from both countries to discover
the beauty and richness of tourism destinations," he added.
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