Philippines making it attractive for Malaysian tourists

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians can now stay longer in the Philippines after it decided to extend its visa-free entry period from 21 to 30 days. This decision also applies to nationals of another 150 countries beginning July 1.

“With these new regulations, we expect tourism numbers to really pick up, not only from Malaysia but from around the world,” said Philippines Ambassador to Malay-sia, J. Eduardo Malaya, in a statement. He said the proximity of the two countries and the increased number of flights between them presented a great opportunity for more tourism and social exchanges.

“The additional days would enable visitors to also explore Tagaytay, Boracay, Cebu, Camarines Sur and other areas in the countryside,” said Malaya.

“They will also discover why, as our slogan says, ‘it’s more fun in the Philippines’,” he said, adding that the extension was applicable as long as travellers had a passport valid for at least six months beyond their proposed stay, and a return ticket to their country of origin or onward to another country.

In 2012, tourist arrivals in the Philippines hit 4.27 million, representing a 9.1% increase from the previous year, according to the Department of Tourism. This marked the first time numbers had surpassed four million.

According to Tourism Malaysia, around 25 million tourists visited Malaysia last year, of which 508,744 were Filipinos. Last year, 114,513 Malaysians visited the Philippines, an increase of 24.81% from the previous year, making Malaysia the 10th largest tourist market for the republic.

-thestar online.