What is the focus of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign?
This campaign focuses on ecotourism, arts and culture, befitting with the National Ecotourism Plan for 2016-2025 and the National Culture Policy which places the ecotourism, arts and culture as the main focus and the path forward in the development of the tourism industry in Malaysia.

What signature events can we watch out for under Visit Malaysia 2020?
Travelers can experience a multitude of celebrations and festivals whole year round. Among the must-see events during VM2020 are the Malaysia Open House (Chinese New Year, Aidilfitri, Deepavali and Christmas), Thaipusam, Tadau Kaamatan and Gawai Festival (Harvest Festival), George Town Festival, Rainforest World Music Festival, Regatta Lepa and Selangor International Indigenous Arts Festival, to name a few.

How is Malaysia Tourism faring in the Philippines? How are your initiatives being received by Filipinos?
We are very happy to observe that there is an uptrend in the Filipino tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2018 with a total of 396,062 arrivals representing a 6.9% increase. This uptrend continues for the period of January to May 2019, with a total of 171,656 arrivals, representing a 5.4% increase. This is on the back of a three-consecutive-year drop in arrivals from 2015, 2016 and 2017. Tourism Malaysia Manila has been actively promoting on social media platform namely Facebook and has even localized it i.e. Tara Na Sa Malaysia. Do check for latest tourism offerings on our official FB page from time to time. Do follow our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/malaysia.travel.ph/

What do you wish to highlight about travel in Malaysia and why?
There is so much Malaysia can offer, as it is truly a melting pot of Asia, being the home of three major races – Malay, Chinese and Indian – along with ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak.

Our tourism program is also bolstered by an efficient and modern transportation system, plus travelers really get value for their money due to favorable exchange rates. They have plenty of choices in accommodation, and in terms of gastronomy, the choices are equally abundant. Malaysia is also known to be a shopping haven, an amusement wonderland for its theme parks, and simply an ideal place for adventures with families and friends.

What, for you, is the spirit of traveling to Malaysia and how does the new campaign reflect this?
The goal of Visit Malaysia 2020 is to attract tourists from all over the globe to experience firsthand the warm hospitality and numerous tourist attractions Malaysia is well known for. We welcome our “Friends of Malaysia” from every corner of the world to discover what makes “Malaysia Truly Asia.”

How has tourism in Malaysia evolved in recent years?
We will continue to position “Malaysia Truly Asia” as a diverse and multi-faceted tourism destination that offers value-for-money and world-class choices. We look ahead to further strengthen our hold on areas such as shopping and dining, health and wellness, adventure and nature, islands and beaches, events and conventions and so much more.

The first quarter performance of 2019 showed growth in tourism revenue which reached RM21.4 Billion, a surge of 16.9% compared to the same period in 2018. In 2018, with 25.8 million tourists visiting our shores, Malaysia secured 15th place among countries with the highest number of tourist arrivals bringing in RM84.1 Billion in tourism revenue.

Malaysia’s appeal as an attractive top-of-mind destination will be strengthened as well in the domestic tourism segment.

What are your goals for Malaysia tourism, in particular, for the region of ASEAN?
We would like to achieve a greater intra-ASEAN tourism flow, and the Philippines market has always been in the top 10 tourist source market for Malaysia, for many years. This consistency both excites and challenges us – we are happy with the confidence and preference that the Filipino traveler has placed on Malaysia as a holiday destination, but at the same time, we see this as a challenge, because we want to keep giving the Filipino traveler richer and meaningful experiences during their holiday in Malaysia. As for the larger picture, we will work towards achieving the VM2020 target of 30 million foreign tourists, plus RM100 billion tourism revenue.

What is your message to people who are looking for an exciting travel destination in Southeast Asia?
ASEAN is rich in diversity, and we see our ASEAN community as one big family, because we are indeed one family sharing an abundance of similarities in arts, culture, tradition and aspirations. Let us unite and prosper together as one.

What do you love most about your country that you feel will interest Filipino tourists come 2020?
“Malaysia Truly Asia” sums it all up – we offer the best of Asia to all our “Friends of Malaysia” particularly Filipino travelers. If I have to pick three, it has to be the food, shopping and the warmth of our hospitality, to welcome our Friends of Malaysia.

What is your message for those who want to explore Malaysia?
As pointed out by our Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his speech at the launching of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, the beauty of a place will attract, but the hospitality will make people stay and return. The time is now – the place is Malaysia, Truly Asia!