Ride on the wild side: The river cruise along the scenic Loboc River in Bohol is one of the key tourist spots near Cebu.

KUALA LUMPUR: If you are planning a fairly short-haul getaway, mark Cebu down in your 2013 calendar. There is now a direct air link between Kuala Lumpur and Cebu, a tropical paradise of the Philippines located in the country's Central Visayas region.

Cebu Pacific Airlines is servicing the route on a twice-weekly (Tuesday and Saturday) basis and tour operators here are confident of high passenger loads, given the city's historical and cultural wonders.

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya said Malaysia had been identified as one of the country's tourism targets for the coming year, adding that Cebu would provide the “perfect platform”.

“We have launched a slogan called It's more fun in the Philippines'. But within the Philippines, I can tell you that it's more fun in Cebu which is famous for its beaches, mangoes and seafood,” he said.

The KL-Cebu route is the third of Cebu Pacific's Malaysian routes, along with KL-Manila (twice daily) and Manila-Kota Kinabalu (once daily).

Better air links between both countries also follows the visit of Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to Manila earlier this year to promote joint tourism packages.

The Philippine Department of Tourism's marketing director (Malaysia/Thailand) Datin Melissa Ong said Cebu was the gateway to nearby provinces such as Bohol, which boasts of the Chocolate Hills, Loboc River cruise and primate tarsier reserve, and the highly-acclaimed beaches of Boracay.

“There has been a 21.92% increase in tourist arrivals from Malaysia in the Philippines.

“I am very sure visitors to Cebu will want to return again,” she added. For details, visit www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com.

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