MANILA -- "Crazy Rich Asians" author Kevin Kwan and Oscar-winning producer Lawrence Bender are in town as speakers in the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) global summit.

In a panel discussion on Thursday, Kwan said he considers the Philippines among his favorite destinations.

"Philippines, first of all," he said, when asked about his most memorable and highly recommended travel destinations. "It's a country with so many amazing locations, cultures, and flavors. And of course, the people are amazing."

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"This is my fourth trip, always a pleasure to be back," he added. "And it's surprising what happens, I never know what will happen when I get to the Philippines. It's always a grand adventure."

Bender, for his part, revealed that aside from the WTTC global summit, another reason why they are in the Philippines is to consider the idea of making a movie in the country.

"One of the reasons why we're here is because we want to make a movie here," said the producer of films such as "Kill Bill," "Inglourious Basterds," and "An Inconvenient Truth," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

"Kevin wrote the script, it's like a love letter to the Philippines," he added, not giving further details.

Bender went on to point out how movies play a huge role in boosting tourism.

"When we come into an area to shoot, we hire people, we bring in people, we go to hotels, we rent cars," he said. "It's a local economy that we create."

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"And then you have the movie stars that go on set and talk about how great it is to go on location. So it's a really great way to promote," he continued. "We're hoping that it happens here because we really want to come and shoot this movie here."

Meanwhile, Kwan said he and Bender are set to visit other parts of the Philippines, hoping that the producer will also "fall in love" with the country.

"I'm burning to travel more. This is my first trip in more than two years outside the US," he said. "For me, travel is intrinsic to inspiring me to write."