AIMING to lure a greater number of Filipino tourists, Tourism Malaysia recently conducted its first sales mission to Manila and Davao for 2023 from May 20 to 28.
The program also targets to boost inbound tourism to Malaysia by highlighting niche segments such as those from the family; MICE or meetings, incentives, conferences and events; health care and medical tourism; education; and for the digital nomads.
Led by Dato’ Dr. Ammar Bin Abd. Ghapar who is Tourism Malaysia’s director-general, the delegation comprised 19 organizations including Melaka Tourism, Malaysia Health-care Travel Council, Selama District Council of Perak, Malaysia My Second Home agency, as well as other industry players and product owners.
Highlighted also through the event are the upcoming “Visit Melaka” and the “Visit Perak Year 2024,” as the Malaysian states featured the unique cultures and experiences tourists may also expect that they have to offer.
These will also pave ways and create momentum for the upcoming “Visit Malaysia Year 2025,” when the Southeast Asian country is projected to have 23.5 million international tourists and RM76.8 billion in receipts.
Malaysian sellers and Filipino buyers gathered through business sessions and gala dinners in both cities, apart from two seminars conducted that focused on leisure, shopping and niche tourism markets.
“The Philippines has always been the Top 10 source market for international travel to Malaysia,” says Dato’ Dr. Ammar. “Our challenge is to move forward after the pandemic and to work together [in creating] a seamless and unforgettable experience for tourists when they visit Asean as a single yet multifarious travel destination.”
In 2022 more than 159,442 tourists from the Philippines visited Malaysia, and Tourism Malaysia aims to continuously increase this number soon through new segments featured in the sales mission. There are currently 64 flights per week from Manila to Malaysia via Malaysia Airlines, Philippines Airlines, AirAsia and Cebu Pacific.
