News roundup: President Marcos believes Filipino hospitality drives Philippine tourism, plus more stories

For PropertyGuru’s news roundup, President Marcos Jr. believes Filipino hospitality drives Philippine tourism. In other updates, local businesses struggled as more residents left Hong Kong versus tourists coming in over the Easter holiday, and Malaysia’s KL Wellness City hosted its Raya Open House with children from orphanage homes.

Philippines’ President Marcos believes Filipino hospitality drives PH tourism

Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to continue exemplifying their genuine warmth and hospitality to visitors to help propel growth and overall economic development.

In his latest vlog, Marcos recounted how foreign dignitaries would usually ask him why Filipinos are so nice as hosts. He said Filipinos’ genuine warmth is innately embedded in the social fabric of being a Filipino, making it one of the tourism brands the country can be proud of.

PNA reports that in his five-minute vlog, the President talked about how Filipino hospitality was on full display whenever a world leader was visiting the country.

He said that like how other countries welcomed him in his foreign trips with their “best foot forward,” the Philippines would pull out all the stops to entertain visitors.

Local businesses struggle as Hongkongers log almost 1.76 million outbound trips over Easter holiday

Industry representatives have said that local businesses saw a drop in trade over the long Easter weekend, as Hongkongers made almost 1.76 million outbound trips – four times the number of inbound visitor figures.

According to Immigration Department data, Hong Kong residents made almost 1.76 million outbound trips from Friday to Monday, while mainland and other visitors made 400,369 inbound trips to Hong Kong in the same timeframe.

According to HKFP, Hong Kong has been fighting an uphill battle to revive its tourism sector since the government lifted stringent, years-long Covid restrictions last February. The number of visitors has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, while tourism-related sectors have said recovery had been stalled by a shortage of manpower.

Malaysia’s KL Wellness City hosts vibrant Raya Open House with orphanage homes

KL Wellness City (KLWC), the pioneering master township developer in wellness and healthcare in Southeast Asia, hosted its Raya Open House on 18 April 2024, following a significant Raya Campaign launch event on 14 March 2024.

Guests were treated to a diverse range of activities and entertainment, with highlights including live performances by the talented 3-pc. Busker Band. The event, covered by PropertyGuru Malaysia, featured live food stations offering a variety of traditional local delicacies and an all-day buffet, ensuring guests enjoyed a culinary journey through Malaysian flavours.

Embracing the spirit of generosity and in alignment with the “Kembali Ke Nostalgia” campaign, KL Wellness City distributed “duit raya” to more than 100 children from five orphanages, reaffirming its dedication to uplifting the lives of those in need. Each orphanage home also received MYR2,000 in contributions.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].