Malaysia is targeting 36 million tourists by 2020, or a 46 percent increase from 2010, an official has said.
Minister of Tourism Malaysia Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen announced this target in her recent visit to the Philippines where she thanked Filipinos for their support to Malaysia.
Filipinos ranked 8th in 2010 with 486, 970 arrivals in Malaysia or an 8.8 percent growth from the previous year, Yen Yen said during the 1Malaysia Gala Dinner hosted by Ministry of Tourism Malaysia at Makati Shangrila.
In 2010, Malaysia ranked 9th after recording 24.6 million arrivals, more than triple the number of arrivals in 1999 at 7.9 million.
Today, Malaysia was the second largest foreign earner and the country’s fifth economy, Yen Yen said.
Tourism contributes $330 million a week to the Malaysian economy. It aims to contribute $ 1 billion US dollars to the economy by 2020, she added.
One of Malaysia’s come-ons, Yen Yen pointed out, was its “beautiful diversity” of Chinese, Indian, Malay, and 47 ethnic groups.
Malaysia is also a “best value” for money as it is a “shopping haven” for tourists, she said, adding that the country carries “very high end brands” with certain shopping marks as duty free.
Malaysia will hold its year-end sale from November 15 to January 1, 2012.
Yen Yen said Malaysia also offers a 10-year visa in line with their initiative called “Malaysia My Second Home.”
In this program, she said, anyone from around the world would be given the opportunity to stay in Malaysia on a social visit pass for a period of 10 years, which is also renewable.