By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 21: The Philippines has expressed its eagerness to further collaborate with Malaysia in various sectors of tourism, including Muslim-friendly tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions), wellness, and cultural industries to facilitate knowledge-sharing and the exchange of experiences.
This sentiment was conveyed by Tourism Secretary for the Philippines, Christina Garcia Frasco, during a meeting with Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato’ Seri Tiong King Sing, today.
In a social media post, Tiong highlighted that discussions during the bilateral meeting between Malaysia and the Philippines centered on accelerating the signing process for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and planning initiatives for 2025, which will lay a strong foundation for Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2026.
“My Ministry and Tourism Malaysia will work to elevate the visibility of Malaysia’s tourism brand through seminars, B2B (business-to-business) engagements, and promotional roadshows.
“We hope to garner the support of the Philippine government to create a mutually beneficial partnership,” he said.
Following this, Tiong also met with Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism, Huot Hat, who proposed the establishment of a joint working group to ensure the effective implementation of an MOU signed in 2019.
Tiong expressed full support for the proposal and agreed on the importance of strengthening tourism promotion efforts, particularly by integrating cultural elements to enhance the sector’s contributions to both countries’ economies.
“Tourism contributes 13 per cent of Cambodia’s GDP (gross domestic products), making it a significant focus of the government’s development plans,” he acknowledged.
During the meeting, Huot also shared that the country has been developing Muslim-friendly tourism packages and is eager to collaborate with Malaysia to position the country as a Muslim-friendly tourism destination in the region. — DayakDaily
