MANILA, Philippines - Boracay has been declared as the "Favorite Beach Destination 2015" by the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents for its annual MATTA Fair on March 13 to 15 at the Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the announcement was made in a press conference held on March 9 at the MATTA Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
At the press conference, MATTA organizing committee chairman S. Jayakumar said that the Philippines is rich in natural resources and biodiversity, and he also praised Boracay’s fine white sand.
“Boracay has consistently been part of the list of the best beaches in the world, as evidenced by awards bestowed on it by major travel magazines and organizations. It is our pleasure for Malaysians to discover the island, with its pristine white sands and breathtaking beaches, which captivated many visitors for nature tripping, watersports and beach hopping,” Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said.
In addition to announcing the favorite beach destinations, Ambassador Malaya further emphasized that now is the best time to visit the Philippines.
“Now is the best time to visit the Philippines. For one, the Philippine Government has declared this year as Visit Philippines Year 2015 (VPY 2015). The flurry of festivals, concerts, conferences, other activities and events lined up will draw in both domestic and foreign tourists in the country. The country is also hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, where its member economies will congregate in different Philippine cities to talk about inclusive growth for their citizens and during their downtime, take in all the beautiful sights the Philippines has to offer,” Ambassador Malaya stated.
The Ambassador also thanked Malaysians for discovering more of the Philippines, as Malaysia posted the highest growth in tourist arrivals at 27.24 percent increase with 139,245 arrivals in 2014, and became the Philippines’ ninth largest tourist market.