25Feb

Charting new tourism directions

KOTA KINABALU: The State Government will set new strategic directions and provide an enabling environment for industry players to help drive tourism growth in the State. Deputy Chief Minister cum State Tourism Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew (pic) said for 2019 the government was targeting a diverse range of tourists in order to balance the increasing number of Chinese tourists to the State. “As such she said the government was also looking at increasing tourists from Asean countries.   “With resilience innovation, product quality and excellent service standards, the state Tourism industry will continue to drive the nation forward, thus making the state a preferred travel destination. “I believe we can come together to make tourism the best in the state and in the country. The State Government will stand fully behind every effort. Let us work hard to ensure fruitful outcomes,” she said, adding her Ministry and State Tourism Board have a blueprint to achieve this. “In addition to tourists coming from China which we intend to open up maybe two or three new market destinations from China, we decide to expand our route to Europe which is why we are going to ITB Berlin 2019 travel trade show in March. “It’s the gateway to Europe and we would like to have more European tourists and also open up markets in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Japan and Korea.  All these are important we believe in balanced tourism promotion. Hopefully we are able to get more tourist arrivals to the state than last year. “We will be visiting these countries and doing promotions to sell Sabah as a destination to all these tourism players in Europe.” On the expected number of European visitors coming to the State, Liew said she would know how to assess the number after going to Berlin. “Sabah has always been an attractive place for Europe because of what we can offer. We have elephants and orang utans, clean rivers and clean air, nice seafood and unique culture.   “So Sabah is a nice place for Europeans. This will be my first time as the State Tourism Minister to go to Europe to do the promotion so I would be able to assess it then. “With the help of Matta and Malaysian Tourism Board, I am very sure we would be able to push for the European Tourist market. We have set our target but we are striving to push it higher.” She said this to reporters at the B2B session between Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Sabah Chapter and 40 Asean Tour Operators at a hotel in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday. Meanwhile Matta President Datuk KL Tan when asked about his comment that only six percent of tourists from Asean countries that come to Sabah with the remainder more towards Kuala Lumpur in the Peninsular, he said traditionally the Sabah market was from China, South Korea and domestic tourism. So Asean market is something that the State can tap into. “For tourists from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia going to  Kuala Lumpur is popular but today we want a breakthrough for Sabah because of our attractions of diving, trekking and mountain climbing, our food, beaches and clean air so we should be able to attract them. “With air connectivity from Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei  we should be able to tap a bigger share of the market  together with the assistance of the State Tourism Board and Tourism Malaysia. “These Asean countries generally tend to have a much bigger population than Malaysia. So we just need a small percentage of them.”   He said Matta Sabah Chapter was fully hosting the 40 tour agents delegates from the Asean countries. “This includes their air transport, accommodation and ground handling in order that they come to Sabah as they have been selling very well for Malaysia generally.” Meanwhile on the B2B event itself, Liew  said it was the first time an Asean tourism conference was  held in the state. “All this while it was held in Kuala Lumpur, but this year was the first time it was held in the state so that we can promote Sabah to them,” Liew said adding that she was sure the delegates would be able to understand what the state had to offer. “We hope today’s B2B session  will be able to produce results. We have spent some money on this as an investment but we believe that there will be a good result from it.” Sabah recorded 1.36 million international arrivals and 2.52 million domestic arrivals which increased by 10.2 percent and 2.8 percent respectively last year.  - Neil Chan Source: Daily Express
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25Feb

Bigger role for Sabah’s ports: CM

SANDAKAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the State Government is committed to developing ports in Sabah by taking into account future needs. This includes Sandakan Port which has long been the focus of trade. “I am delighted that a new jetty is now ready and will allow us to cope with the growing needs of this area,” he told a media conference after opening the port’s new jetty, Thursday. He said not only with neighbouring countries like the Philippines and Indonesia but also China and Japan, adding that this is a step forward as a mid-term effort.   “In future we need a port with larger capacity. For Sandakan Port our initiative is, among others, to cater to the needs and enable our trade to increase,” he said. “In future, when ships from outside come not only are there products from outside but also products from Sabah to be exported, this is important,” he said, adding that this includes the presence of potential tourist vessels brought to Sandakan and tourists visiting interesting places here. At the same time, he wants the Minister of Tourism to take a role in this regard, including thinking of what can be upgraded to beautify the district such as Sepilok and the Sun Bear Conservation Centre, among others. The same goes for the development of ports across Sabah, including Kudat. In the planning is a proposal to create a railway route from Kudat to the State capital to facilitate the passage of freight forwarding. Also present were Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Commerce and Industry Datuk Seri Madius Tangau, Minister of Health and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Stephen Wong, Chairman of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad cum Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd Chairman Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin, among others. Shafie said the Government not only wants to develop the port sector but also various sectors with existing initiatives. “We have identified the Sandakan Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC Sandakan) as the centre for existing furniture. And I am streamlining with Yayasan Sabah and the State Forestry Department to assist the timber industry in Sabah,” he said.   “Not only in the field of plywood but also furniture. But furniture will take a bit of time. “I have met with major industry players like those in Kota Kinabalu, among them Super Wood and Borneo Benar which not only produce domestic and foreign needs but also export to Maldives and Sri Lanka,” he said. “I am confident it can create many job opportunities like Super Wood, which has employees comprising locals who live near the factory. “The same goes for the industry in Sepanggar like KKIP with its glass industry, in Sipitang with the downstream fertiliser and other potential in other districts.” Meanwhile, Ibrahim said the building cost of the pier is RM129.4 million and took 24 months to complete. “The new pier is an important landmark for the construction of port infrastructure especially in Sandakan and the State to increase the efficiency of port services and facilitate trade and investment in Sabah. “Sandakan Port is an important gateway for the State economic development because of its role in accelerating th e economic activity in the east coast of Sabah,” he said. In view of this, he said the need to expand the anchorage area for big trading vessels at Sandakan Port has been identified. Sandakan Port has increased actively and is the second largest contributor to the earning of Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd after Sepanggar Port. The port is not only dependent on palm oil but also become the gateway to travellers and passengers from the southern Philippines. The port handles almost all types of cargoes comprising containers, general cargoes, bulk oils, passenger ships to ferry services and transhipment activities to carry the services and conduct transhipment activities. It consistently operates roughly 4.4 million tonnes of cargo a year. Ibrahim said the project is among the company’s effort to upgrade port development as stated in the Port Masterplan, which also includes other ports such as Sepanggar, Lahad Datu and Tawau ports. “Ports in Sabah were built over the last 30 to 40 years. Therefore, there is a need to upgrade and enhance port efficiency, as well as support Green Port initiatives to promote the use of state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure to meet the growing demands of port users and shipping ships,” he said. He said Suria Capital, as a public company and Government-Linked Company in Sabah, plays a significant role in assisting the State Government provide a sustainable port service through its subsidiary, Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd. He said during the concession period since 2004, Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd has assisted the State Government to reduce port infrastructure spending by more than RM1 billion.  - Mardinah Jikur Source: Daily Express
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25Feb

Sabah to woo more tourists from Asean countries

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is banking on arrivals from Asean countries to boost its tourism industry. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said to date, the state only has six per cent of tourist arrivals from Southeast Asian nations, compared to 70 per cent heading to Kuala Lumpur and other parts of peninsula Malaysia. “Sabah has loads of attractions, from food, dive sites, air, wildlife and culture, which it markets to travellers from China, South Korea and within Malaysia. “The state wants a breakthrough from Asean countries which have much bigger population than Sabah. “We should be able to do better for the state with direct flights connectivity and assistance from Sabah Tourism Board and Tourism Malaysia,” he said after launching the inaugural B2B session between Matta Sabah chapter members and Asean tour operators here. Present were Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew and Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general (promotion) Datuk Mohmed Razip Hasan. Tan added that despite similarities in terms of tourism products within Asean countries, Sabah has its own niches that could cater to the needs of different tourists. Earlier in his speech, he said this year, Matta would be representing Malaysia at the International Tourism Bourse Berlin in Germany next month by showcasing 28 travel and tour companies and hoteliers. “Our participation at ITB Berlin will allow us to showcase Malaysia’s products especially Sabah Tourism to more than 10,000 tourism agencies from over 180 countries. “Matta will also be introducing attractive and fresh itineraries for tour packages to encourage more tourists from Germany and Europe to visit Malaysia,” he said, adding that Western countries have traditionally been contributing to tourism industry thus it is worthy to continue tapping the said market. Meanwhile, Liew, who is also deputy chief minister said the state government would set up a new strategic direction and provide an enabling environment for industry players to help drive tourism growth. “We are targeting a diverse range of tourists as we want to balance the number, not only increasing the number of Chinese tourists, but also tourists from Asean and European countries. “Sabah had recorded 1.36 million international arrivals and 2.52 million domestic arrivals. We are on the right track to achieve our target of 4 million tourist arrivals in 2019.” she added. Source: New Straits Times
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25Feb

Homestay revenues may increase drastically

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Homestay Association (SHA) aims to increase the revenues of homestays in the State to RM10 million-RM20 million by 2025. Its president Djuanis Mogirong said it is not impossible to achieve this target provided there are strong support from the Federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry to develop the rural tourism industry. “We can see a surge in tourist arrivals for homestays in the State, last year, with 70,083, as compared to 47,291 in 2017,” he said during a press conference, here, Thursday.   “The trend is soaring upwards and we can clearly see that there is a big potential in developing rural tourism, especially homestays. “The total receipts for homestays also witnessed a shocking increase to RM7.17 million, last year, from RM3.8 million in 2017.” Djuanis also disclosed that the homestays in the State are ranked top five in the country, with the exception of the top spot which was grabbed by a homestay in Pahang. Currently, there are 29 homestays in 50 villages, involving 394 operators in the State. These homestays offer some 687 rooms. Djuanis said the association had outlined several measures to achieve its target.   “SHA would like to help more potential communities or villages to join homestay programmes to achieve our target of getting 50-100 homestays in the State by 2025,” he said. The association also hoped that homestays in Sabah can be registered for Kampungstay programme this year. “Kampungstay is at another level where certified operators can provide more rooms for guests and this can offer bigger advantage for rural tourism players in the State. “Apart from that, we plan to hold an annual convention for homestays next year…it is a platform for international to converge and exchange information as well as share their success stories.” SHA, he said, has also discussed with Sabah Tourism Board (STB) to conduct the Visit Year Homestay Sabah 2022. Meanwhile, several homestays and community-based tourism associations made the State proud as they received international recognitions from two events, recently.   Announcing this, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said Kadamaian Tourism Association, Kota Belud received the Asean Community-Based Tourism Standard, Misompuru Homestay, Kudat obtained the Asean Homestay Standard and Jari Jari Spa, Kota Kinabalu grabbed the Asean Spa Services Standard. The awards were presented by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi at the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Jan 18. “The second event was the World Homestay Organisation Summit for Tourism (World Host),” Liew said. Among the recipients were Misompuru Homestay, Seri Serbang Homestay, Mesilou Atamis Homestay, Tanak Nabalu Homestay, Walai Tokou Homestay and Taun Gusi Village Homestay. “This proves that our local tourism players are able to fulfilled international standards for their services and facilities. “I hope these awards will help to motivate other homestays and community-based tourism associations to improve.” She also pledged the ministry’s commitment to support the progress of homestays in the State. - Ricardo Unto Source: Daily Express
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25Feb

Sabah looks to Europe to boost tourism

KOTA KINABALU: European tourists will be Sabah’s focus as it consolidates on strong annual tourist arrivals from China. The move is to further diversify its tourism market that was highly dependent on the thriving China tourist market, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
Liew, who is state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said that it was important to balance out the tourism market by encouraging more western tourists to visit the state. “We will kick off our campaign to promote Sabah to other countries, starting with Germany in March. Year open house would be held on Feb 5 in the Hakka Hall here. “We are targeting more Europeans as we want to balance the numbers, not only increasing the number of Chinese tourists, but also American, European and Australian tourists, as well as those from Malaysia," she said. Liew was confident that Sabah was in the right position to draw in European tourists as there was connectivity with Royal Brunei Airlines and China Southern Airlines flying direct to Sabah. Dismissing claims that there was a drop in Chinese tourist arrivals in Sabah, she said that more then 500,000 tourists from China had visited Sabah last year, which surpassed the target. “We have yet to compile the arrivals for December 2018,” she said, adding that Chinese tourists were no longer just staying in Kota Kinabalu but were travelling to other parts of the state including northern Kudat, eastern Sandakan and Tawau. “Maybe people see fewer Chinese tourists in Kota Kinabalu and assume that there is a drop. They are coming and heading to other parts of the state,” she said. Liew also said that the state was expecting a large number of tourists coming for the Chinese New Year season next month. “Some of our top hotels are fully booked already,” she said, adding that Sabah receives some 117 direct flights from nine cities in China weekly.
Source: The Star Online
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