MALAYSIA is going full throttle to win back Filipino tourists, targeting families, shoppers as well as wellness and health travelers.
A big delegation from Malaysia led by Tourism Malaysia Director General Dato Dr. Ammar bin Abd Ghapar, is here in the Philippines to hold two back-to-back sales missions in Manila and Davao City.
In 2019, before the pandemic, a total of 421,908 Filipinos visited Malaysia, making the Philippines one of the top 10 source markets of Malaysia for international travel.
Last year, the number of Filipino tourists to Malaysia was only around 150,000, a drop of 60 percent, owing largely to the lingering fears of the pandemic and economic downturn.
Ammar said the pandemic has shifted their strategy in wooing Filipino tourists. He said they are now targeting the families and shoppers segments.
“Traveling with families is one of the trends after this pandemic,” Ammar said. “And I was also informed that Filipinos love to shop. If they don’t shop, then there’s no point in traveling.”
He cited the Genting Skyworlds Theme Park, the newest theme park on top of a 6,000-foot mountain in Genting Highlands in Malaysia. It features nine movie and adventure-inspired “worlds,” such as Ice Age, Night of the Museum, Independence Day and Rio.
Other popular theme parks in Malaysia are LegoLand, Sunway Lagoon, and ESCAPE Penang.
One of the tourist spots that the Malaysian tourism promotion agency is heavily marketing is the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, one of the world’s tallest buildings.
Another skyscraper, Merdeka 118, is also set to be opened this year. At 2,227 feet, Merdeka 118 is the world’s second tallest building, after Burj Khalifa of the United Arab Emirates.
“Because we cannot sell beaches to you. You already have so many here in the Philippines,” Ammar said. “So the iconic Twin Towers is one of the most frequented by the Filipinos.”
Another niche market that Malaysia is trying to pursue is healthcare and medical tourism.
In 2018, there were 2,853 Filipinos who went to Malaysia for medical treatment and spent around $2 million. In 2019, the number rose to 2,891 arrivals, generating $2.7 million in revenues.
Most of the Filipinos who went to Malaysia for medical tourism came for cardiovascular and cancer treatments, and fertility workups.
He said they are tying up with airlines and hotels so they can offer discounts tour packages for Filipinos.
Ammar said they have also proposed to the Philippine’s Department of Tourism for a collaboration in promoting both Malaysia and the Philippine market.
“We are thinking of ways to leverage the situation. We should complement each other, rather than compete,” Ammar said.
He cited that both the Philippines and Malaysia are both looking at the China market. “Let Chinese tourists travel to both the Philippines and Malaysia. Maybe a joint sales mission to the China market. So we are not working alone,” he said.