Phl an important market for Malaysia’s tourism sector

MANILA, Philippines - With more than 520,000 Filipino tourist arrivals in Malaysia in 2013—a 2.2-percent increase from 2012—the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) is keen on tapping more into the Philippine market to increase tourist arrivals in 2014, tagged as the “Visit Malaysia” year.

“The Philippine market is an important market because it belongs to the top five tourist arrivals in Malaysia last year. Also, Filipino tourists comprise 13 percent of the market share of tourists who visited us in 2013,” said Mohd Akbal Setia, acting director of the MTPB in Manila. “With its huge population and close proximity to Malaysia, we consider the Philippines a significant contributor to our tourism sector. We believe that if we focus more on the market, the number of Filipino tourists going to Malaysia will increase.”

The MTPB observed that the interest to travel outside the Philippines has been a contributing factor in the increase of tourist arrivals in Malaysia, with more and more young professionals as well as FITs (free independent travellers) seeking more travel experience abroad. Sightseeing and shopping remain to be the main reasons for flying to this Southeast Asian country.

But Malaysia continues to develop and build new exciting destinations and discoveries to keep tourists coming back and wanting for more. Setia said, “We have a number of developments going on. We have new theme parks, we’re adding more hotels and there are newly refurbished resorts in Malaysia.”

According to Setia, the MTPB is looking into a more experiential approach in promoting the country’s tourism this year. “Last year, it was awareness on what Malaysia can offer the world. Because 2014 is ‘Visit Malaysia’ year, we will focus on the actual activities that tourists can enjoy in our country. We will be more aggressive in familiarization tours so you get the actual feel of seeing and being in Malaysia. We will venture into new activities and fine-tune them to the current needs of the Filipino tourist,” he explained.

As part of its promotional strategy, the MTPB recently joined the 21st Travel Tour Expo 2014 and was in fact one of the most visually-appealing booths. Also in the pipeline are the celebrity endorsement program and student ambassador program as well as special joint promotions with airlines and travel agencies.

Although challenged by the number of flights between the Philippines and Malaysia, the MTPB is optimistic it will achieve its 2014 targets. “Malaysia is a world-class destination and it offers value for money,” said Setia, who shared that Sipadan Island was named by CNN Travel as the number one dive site in the world in 2012. Malaysia, according to him, was also ranked number one in the value for money category among the shopping destinations in the world in 2012.

Situated in the midst of the Asia Pacific Region, Malaysia is brimming with unique attractions: pristine beaches and breathtaking islands, world-class and modern facilities, well-maintained nature reserves, mouthwatering cuisine, and shopping hotspots. With 13 states and three federal territories, Malaysia combines the best of Asia and is famous for its diverse cultural landscape.

Setia said that based on their research, Filipinos travel most during the end of the first quarter and toward the second quarter as well as at the end of the year. “This is because it’s easy for them to travel since it’s a school holiday and they have longer time to take a leave off work,” he said. “But for Malaysia, there is no best time to go because you may visit us all year round.” Filipinos, Setia observed, also lean towards family-oriented activities such as theme parks.

“We are doing our best to ensure that the needs, interests and wants of tourists, especially Filipinos, are fulfilled. Come visit Malaysia and see for yourself why it’s a world-class destination,” Setia said.