Sabah can be home port for cruise ships – Matta

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah too has the potential to be a home port in the region for cruise ships, opined Malaysia Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang.

Therefore the state government and tourism players should also focus on cruise tourism in their efforts to develop more tourism products, he said.

Tan told The Borneo Post that Sabah’s advantage is in its strategic location in the region.

“We need to look into this segment of emerging market which is getting popular among Asians. Sabah has the advantage because the cruise ship(s) using the state as a home port can cover the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

“But to make the proposal a reality, a proper cruise terminal like Port Klang or Penang’s Swettenham Pier must be built in Sabah to be the home port. This terminal can be constructed in Sepanggar or as a matter of fact anywhere in the state’s west coast,” he pointed out.

According to Tan, not only would having the cruise terminal in Sabah increase the number of tourist arrivals in the state, the economic spillover for other port-related services such as handling, docking, engineering and refuelling will be good for the state.

“There will be business opportunities and jobs for locals,” he said.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Matta Fair Penang on Saturday, Tan said the association had proposed that Penang be turned into a home port for cruise ships to cater to the growing cruise market in the region.

He urged Matta members to play a significant role to do marketing promotions not only among Malaysians but also tourists from the region.

Tan firmly believes that making Penang a home port will create a better option for large cruise ships to call to, rather that docking in other countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The Penang home port stands out from home ports in other countries such as Singapore, as Penang is closer to Thailand, one of the favourite travel destinations in the region,” he said.

Source: Borneo Post Online