07Nov

Celebrating Sabah’s natural and cultural diversity in London

LONDON: UK-Sabah relationship dates way back to the days of British North Borneo (now Sabah), said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.“We even went through war together with some 600 British Prisoners of War (POWs) who perished on the infamous Sandakan to Ranau  Death March 74 years ago.“But not all is grey and gloom. We have had other great success stories which we have shared in recent years. Notably, Sir David Attenborough (an English natural historian who had visited Sabah to do documentaries), who needs no introduction, had done great justice in portraying Sabah’s rich flora and fauna to the world,” she said at “An Evening with the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment” here, Monday. Liew hosted the dinner reception with the theme “Celebrating Sabah’s Natural and Cultural Biodiversity” at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill in conjunction with the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2019, which ended on Wednesday.The 30-odd guests comprised conservationists, naturalists, wildlife experts, presenters and owners of tour operators from the UK.Present were the Director of Tourism Malaysia London, Mohd Shahrir Mohd Ali, George Jessel (great grandson of Sir Charles Jessel who founded Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu), and representatives from Sabah’s tour operators participating in the WTM London under the auspices of Sabah Tourism Board (STB), namely Borneo Eco Tours, Borneo Nature Tours and Borneo Beyond Adventure.The Minister also paid tribute to English TV presenter Kate Humble, who specialises in wildlife programmes, for documenting her trip to Sabah, and Dame Judi Dench (a renowned Oscar-winning British actress, who turns 85 this year) for a two-part series on her Wild Borneo Adventure.Dench visited Sabah in April this year to film a documentary on the Danum Valley Conservation Area as part of her crusade to help save Borneo’s rainforest and its endangered species. She adopted three orang utans during her visit, which reportedly left her speechless. Saying the Orang Utan UK Appeal has been a great companion to Sabah at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan since 2000, she said: “We thank you for the exchange of knowledge and also your immense contribution in helping us preserve the endangered Orang Utan.”Liew said the State Government has conferred the title of Datuk on the Founder cum Chairperson of Orang Utan UK Appeal, Susan Sheward in recognition of her great work in raising funds for the protection and rescue of endangered wildlife in Sabah. Orang Utan UK is a charity dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of orang utans, and conservation of their habitat.In addition, Cardiff University’s students based in the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), Kinabatangan, are also contributing great information on their field research.Meanwhile, the Minister said the State Government has reached a milestone through the formulation of wildlife-related policies such as the 10-year Elephant Conservation Action Plan (2020-2030) to prevent extinction of the Borneo Pygmy elephant.“For instance, a pangolin sanctuary to be established within the protected Tawau Hills Park, is set to become Sabah’s new wildlife tourist attraction,” she said.According to Liew, Tawau was picked as a suitable location for the pangolin sanctuary because it has a vast forest. “It will be a suitable place for pangolins because there’s plenty of food supply there such as insects (termites and ants),” she explained, adding that with a proper sanctuary, more effective and efficient conservation efforts will be made.The occasion was an opportunity to promote Sabah books such as “Curry Leaves” compiled by the wife of Chief Minister, Datin Seri Shuryani Shuaib, “Wild Sabah” produced by wildlife expert Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne and “Opogi - The Bornean Crocodile” authored by journalist Jaswinder Kaur Kler. Liew presented copies of these books to all guests. Source: Daily Express
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01Nov

Tourism, trade mission to Czech Republic next year

KOTA KINABALU: There is much potential for collaboration between the Czech Republic and Sabah in terms of tourism and trade, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment is receptive to the idea of sending a delegation from the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) on a tourism and trade mission to the republic next year.Honorary Consul of the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic, Vincent H.K. Tan, who is based in Sabah, has agreed to co-ordinate the mission. “Realising that tourism is a major service industry in the Czech Republic, and that we have yet to tap the Czech travel market, I believe it is mutually beneficial for Sabah and the Republic to promote each other as a tourist destination where we can showcase our historical and cultural heritage, among other natural attractions.“My Ministry through the Sabah Tourism Board is keen to penetrate the European market in an effort to diversify the tourism market,” she said during a courtesy call by the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Malaysia, Milan Hupcej, Thursday.He was accompanied by the Embassy’s Economic Counsellor, R&D and Education, Lenka Tomanova, and Tan on his first official visit to Sabah since taking office in March this year.Milan concurred with Liew that there is a lot of potential for collaboration ranging from tourism and trade to environmental protection, biodiversity and waste management, saying his country has a huge trade volume. “That is why we choose your state (Sabah),” he told the Minister. “I am pleased to hear your interest in engaging with the people in my country. We can put our experts together because we (Czech Republic) want to share our green technologies and engineering expertise. Let’s do some promotion for a start. Malaysia is a country with a good reputation, and has a conducive environment for conducting business.”Saying the Czech Republic market is lucrative, he said: “Tourism is a big industry in the Republic which is a major tourist destination in Europe. Czechs also travel a lot all over the world. There are about 50,000 Czechs coming to Malaysia.“While we (Czech Republic) promote our country first, promotion from your side (Sabah) with the help of the media is also necessary to develop high quality tourism.”The Ambassador stressed that Sabah should be included in the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 agenda. “You have the National Park and beautiful beaches.”Also present were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk William Baya, STB General Manager Noredah Othman and MICE Manager Georgina Jinu. Source: Daily Express
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01Nov

Sabah may host Borneo Hospitality Challenge in May

KOTA KINABALU: If everything goes well as planned, Sabah will play host to the inaugural Borneo Hospitality Challenge 2020 (BHC2020) from May 30-31 next year.It is being organised by the Borneo Culinary Association (BCA) Sabah and Sarawak, which is a non-profit organisation.Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew assured the organisers that her Ministry will support the event that will feature a Culinary & Food & Beverage (F & B) Competition. She gave the assurance during a courtesy call by a six-member delegation led by retired Executive Chef Volkmar G.Ertel. Present were Norsina James @ Mimiey James (Director, Ocean Play KK Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd), Executive Chef Daniel Shepherd (Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa), Dion Jee (Director of Food and Beverage, SkyHotel), Executive Chef Alex Sim (Sutera Sanctuary Lodges) and Sarah Diana Michelle Durai (Auditor & Event Director for BHC2020).“We endorse events that will bring in participants and visitors from the international community, as this will not only promote Sabah tourism but also forge friendship ties with people from neighbouring countries and beyond,” Liew said. Briefing the Minister on BHC2020, Jee, who is also the Organising Chairman, said more than 500 participants are expected from Asian countries (including Malaysia), Australia and New Zealand. “We are receiving encouraging response from potential international participants who will be made up of chefs, executive chefs, bartenders and baristas,” he said, adding that judges are drawn from various countries.According to him, the proposed prizes are USD1,000 for the winner, followed by USD500 for the first runner-up and USD200 for the second runner-up (plus a medal and certificate for each winner).Officially registered in December 2013, the BCA is a member of the Malaysia Food & Beverage Executive Association (MFBEA) and aims to play an active role in supporting culinary activities in the East Malaysia region.“Part of our mission is to develop, promote and improve the quality standards of the Food and Beverage industry in East Malaysia,” said Jee. Also present was the General Manager of Sri Pelancongan (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, Zachary Mobijohn. Source: Daily Express
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30Oct

Traditional Food Fest planned next year

KOTA BELUD: Organising cultural festivals based on local cultures and ethnic traditions in the State should be able to attract tourists.State Rural Development Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said rural areas had a variety of attractive products to attract tourism in addition to its natural beauty, Sabah’s cultural festivals and ethnic traditions.“In Kota Belud, we hold the annual Tamu Besar Kota Belud event which showcases the various ethnic cultures of the district including the Traditional Food Festival. But it will be more interesting and successful if we can attract foreign tourists to see the uniqueness and the special privileges of culture, traditional foods and more that we have to offer. “I commend the efforts of the organisers of the Traditional Food Festival in conjunction with the Tamu Besar Kota Belud and I hope that it will continue in the future. But to this day, we are the only ones celebrating the festival and cannot be featured outside tourists. introducing this traditional food to outside tourists and our entrepreneurs can turn it into a commercial enterprise,” he said at the opening of the Kota Belud Traditional Food Festival in conjunction with the Tamu Besar Kota Belud hed at the Sosondoton View Tamu market in Kg Piasau, here, on Saturday.Also present were Kota Belud District Officer, Diyanah Abdullah, board member of the Sabah Tourism Board, Mustapha Sakmud and former Kota Belud MP, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.Ewon, who is also the Kadamaian Assemblyman, agreed with the Kota Belud District Officer’s proposal for a Traditional Food Festival to be held outside Kota Belud next year.“If we cannot attract overseas travellers to Kota Belud to see the festival, let us approach them in collaboration with the shopping centres or hotels in Kota Kinabalu so that tourists can see some of the tourism products we offer in the district, “he said.He said the government through ministries and district offices could play a role in upgrading public infrastructure facilities in villages undertaking tourism activities, while tourism associations could play a role in tourism promotion and marketing activities. Earlier, Ewon was launching a Fitness Awareness Programme in conjunction with the Taginambur area level National Sports Month at the Sweat Factory Centre gymnasium in Kg Taginambur Jaya.Speaking at the event, he said the Taginambur Badi Festival, which will be held from December 12 to 13, 2019, being delayed from the same date in August and will be officiated by Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew.The delay will allow for the completion of the bustling Kadamaian Square community hall, which is currently under construction, but almost nearing its completion.“The State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment has agreed to award an annual grant of RM30,000 to the Taginambur Tourism Association to organise the festival.“I hope the festival will be a new identity of the Kadamaian area and highlight the unique and interesting privileges that are not present at any other festival in Kota Belud,” he said.According to Ewon, the redevelopment of the Taginambur township is underway including the completion of the Kadamaian Square community hall which serves as the main activity centre in the Kadamaian State Assembly constituency, the upgrading of Taginambur Tamu market facilities and the construction of the Rural Entrepreneurial Complex which will soon begin“This will be supplemented by riverbank improvements, residential walkway construction and the construction of Walai Kadamaian tourist complex which will serve as a resthouse, accommodation and future tourist cafeteria.“This is part of the Kadamaian Development Plan, 2020-2035 which I have initiated for the tourism industry related facilities in Kadamaian. What is good for Kadamaian is also good for Kota Belud in general and also good for Sabah as a whole,” he said. Source: Daily Express30
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30Oct

35pc of visitors in Sabah into ecotourism

KOTA KINABALU: A study found that 35 per cent of tourists who visit the country are into ecotourism activities such as hiking or climbing, diving, snorkeling, cave exploration, bird watching and fishing. Tourism and Culture Ministry (Motac) Sec-Gen, Datuk Isham Ishak, said Malaysia is fortunate to have tropical rainforests over 130,000 years old, beaches, islands, natural wonders and national parks as well as the cultural diversity of its people.It places Malaysia as the top ecotourism destination in the world. Through the National Ecotourism Plan 2016 - 2025, the country is developing a cluster-based ecotourism destination with a special concession package that promotes the use of eco-smart technologies and destinations namely profit sharing between governments and private operators. The tourism sector in Malaysia showed remarkable performance. Between January and March 2019, tourist arrivals registered 4.8 per cent growth with 10.95 million tourist arrivals compared to 10.45 million tourist arrivals in the same period last year.In addition, the quarterly performance in 2019 also showed growth in the tourism revenue reached RM 21.4 billion, an increase of 16 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. In 2018, 25.8 million tourists visit the coastal areas and Malaysia ranks 15th among countries with the highest number of tourist arrivals.Meanwhile, Malaysia ranks 21st among the countries with the highest tourism revenue, generating RM 84.1 billion in tourism revenue in 2018 as recorded in the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its Barometer Report published in May 2019.Through the plan, Motac aims to make Malaysia a ‘Smart Tourism Destination Capital’ and is committed to transforming smart tourism technology and destination management to educate industry players, tourists and local people on responsible, sustainable and inclusive tourism development. As such, Malaysia will continue to support the initiative of Southeast Asean (Asean) member states to develop the tourism sector in the region through the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan 2016 - 2025.These include the Asean Tourism Human Resources Management and Development Network (ATRM) programme aimed at sharing experiences and expertise on ecotourism best practices and providing a discussion platform among representatives of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries.As a joint co-coordinator alongside Thailand at the Asean level, Malaysia organized the programme for the second time, at the launch of the Batu Puteh Kinabatangan Berhad Tourism Cooperative (Kopel), Sabah recently, following the similar co-operative launched by the Mulu National Park, Sarawak tourist operators in 2017. Present at the opening of the program was Motac Deputy Secretary-General (Tourism), Datuk Haslina Abdul Hamid.Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Assaffal Alian said Sabah tourism set a new record in 2018 with the highest tourism revenue of RM8.324 billion involving 3.879 million tourists. On the other hand, gross domestic arrivals registered a double-digit increase of 10.2 per cent, while domestic arrivals increased by 2.8 per cent.Thus, the Sabah Government is committed to improving Sabah’s tourism industry, especially in the field of ecotourism. Assafal added that, ecotourism is a high value sub-sector that offers unique experiences and adventures for a particular area and has the potential to become a leading destination for bringing high value tourists to the country.Therefore, from the Government’s viewpoint, there is a need to protect and promote nature-based offerings to ensure long-term sustainable benefits to the environment. Source: Daily Express
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