11Jan

MAS Airbus A350 conducts test flight to KKIA

KOTA KINABALU: A Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) Airbus A350 plane conducted its test flight from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) yesterday. Aimed at providing the pilots and cabin crew the experience of handling the new aircraft before it started its Kuala Lumpur to London service on Jan 15, the plane arrived at KKIA at 3.50 pm after departing from KLIA at 1.05 pm. Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, MAB’s Chief Commercial Officer Arved von zur Muehlen and more than 100 other passengers were on the flight. Speaking to reporters after arriving at the KKIA, von zur Muehlen said the new aircraft, which has 286 seats including four seats in the First Class, 35 in Business Class and 247 in Economy Class, is believed to be able to provide excellent experience and comfort to customers. He expressed gratitude for being able to fly the KUL-BKI route prior to commencing the KUL-LDN route. “We’re happy we can fly here and are very grateful for the support from Sabah Tourism Board to show our latest product. “The A350 is our latest flight as we are redoing our fleet, which is one of the youngest in Asia with only four years,” he said. Arved explained that the new A350 fleet would be replacing the A380, due to various factors. “The A350 XWB offers true long-range capability, operational efficiency with 25 per cent lower operating cost and exclusive passenger experience. “The A380 is a larger aircraft and for the size of the Malaysian market, its capacity is too much. “To fill the aircraft everyday is a bit of a challenge and the London route is competitive, so the A350 is better,” he said. Arved added that air quality will improve significantly in the A350 with a new air filter system, wide seats offering a high level of comfort for long-haul travel, in-seat entertainment and full connectivity, as well as full LED cabin lighting system, among others. All six ordered A350 aircrafts will be delivered by the second half of the year, said Arved, while the former A380 crafts will be used for pilgrimage chartered flights to Jeddah and Madinah.   Source: Borneo Post
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08Jan

Build museum that showcases cultural integration – Masidi

KOTA KINABALU: Build a new museum that reflects the harmonious cultural integration among the people in Sabah, suggested Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun. Masidi said the suggestion to turn the burned-down old building next to Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC) in the city is not possible as the site is tied up with some legal issues. “I am sure the Chinese community can find a place to put up the museum. I am sure the state government will be very considerate and, probably, in giving the land at a nominal cost,” he told the press at the launch of CAMACA at Jalan Dewan here yesterday. “But generally, I would prefer that we have a new museum complex, bigger area with a lot of sections. “We are noted for tolerance, we are noted for unity. I think we should reflect that in our museum. You can have your Kadazan section, the Chinese section, Murut section but, I think, personally, as a single unit of museum because that is Sabah,” he added. Masidi reckoned that talks of having a dedicated museum could spark other demands and requests that would not end. “So, let’s get our priority straight. Whatever we do in Sabah, I think it should reflect the harmonious nature in the integration of people in Sabah and that should include the museum,” he explained. The Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) president, Tan Sri TC Goh, had expressed the association’s readiness to set up the proposed Chinese Heritage Museum for Sabah should the state government give the green light. Goh said this in welcoming the recent call made by Kapayan assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosi, urging the government to turn the burned-down old building next to Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC) into a Chinese Heritage Museum. Special Tasks Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Teo Chee Kang also welcomed the proposal and said the state government would be willing to facilitate the implementation of the meaningful project, which had actually been put into action during the tenure of former FCAS president, the late Datuk Seri Panglima Sari Nuar. On another development, Masidi anticipates that the state would probably receive the tourism tax disbursements from the federal government under a different name on the basis of giving back to the state. “It should be more than what we expect but it is up to us to tell them that we need this money to do promotions, for example, and they will give it to us, which may, ultimately, be more than what we ask for,” he hoped. When it comes to the tourism, Masidi said growth will largely depend on the availability of hotels in Sabah.   Source: Borneo Post
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08Jan

CNY Carnival at Padang Merdeka Feb 10-12

Kota Kinabalu: The Chinese New Year Carnival 2018 will be held from Feb 10 to 12 at Padang Merdeka here. It is jointly organised by City Hall and the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS), with the State Government as sponsor and contributions from many donors. The carnival's organising committee held a meeting chaired by Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai recently. Also present were FCAS President Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima (Dr) TC Goh and Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Edward Yong, who is in charge of City Hall. According to Yong, the organising committee would be inviting the Chief Minister to launch the event on Feb 10. He said among the highlights of the programme are the 24 seasons drum beating, lion dances, "Lau Sang", cultural and singing performances, choir and others. He said more schools will be involved this time to encourage more youngsters to participate in the carnival. Fireworks are expected to be set off on the opening night. There will also be a ceremony for senior citizens and children at Padang Merdeka on Feb 11, which is expected to be launched by the Chief Minister's wife, Puan Sri Datin Seri Panglima Faridah Tussin. A Cheongsam beauty pageant and dancing contest will be held on the second night also, he said. The closing ceremony is expected to be graced by the Minister with Special Tasks, Datuk Seri Panglima Teo Chee Kang, which will also see the finale of the Cheongsam and dancing competitions and a fireworks display. Visitors will also have the chance to shop for goods from the 200 stalls that will be set up throughout the carnival. The stalls will be opened at 6pm selling goods in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration. For the first time this year, the stalls at Padang Merdeka will be allowed to continue their business for another two days up to Feb 14 which will coincide with the yearly Chinese New Year night market. Yong said this will give more business opportunities to small traders and hawkers and will be an added attraction for tourists visiting the city during the festive season. Application for the stalls can be made starting Jan 9 2018 at City Hall's Hawkers Management Counter, City Environmental Health Department at 7th floor, Centre Point Sabah. Permit for the stalls are RM60 per lot. For more information on the stalls, call 088-244000 or 088-223437.   Source: Daily Express
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08Jan

Sabah needs more hotels to cater to tourists influx

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry has expressed concern over the insufficient number of hotel rooms to accommodate the growing number of tourists to the state in the future.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said as the state was enjoying encouraging numbers in tourism receipts, the state government feared its promotional efforts would an exercise in futility. “There are limitations to promote Sabah as we do not want the tourists to pitch up tents simply because we do not have enough rooms (for them). “If there are not enough hotels, in the future, we will definitely have a big problem. Eventually, growth will become a plateau if the state tourism’s growth does not equal the availability of hotel rooms,” he told reporters after opening a Taiwan-based cafe Camaco Gelato Concept Cafe here today. Masidi said his ministry, through its agencies such as the Sabah Tourism Board, was striving to ensure that there were enough hotels to meet future demands. He said the state recorded RM7.25 billion in tourism receipt in 2016 and expected last year’s (2017) numbers to hit the RM7.7 billion mark. On the cafe, Masidi said Camaco’s decision in setting up an outlet here was a manifestation of the company’s confidence in the business climate of the state capital and its growing sophistication. With 14 foreign airlines flying to Kota Kinabalu and 178 flights per week, of them 84 from China alone, he said it clearly showed that the growing number of flights was a manifestation of tourist confidence in city’s ability to grow. – Bernama   Source: Borneo Post
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04Jan

First Digital Tourism Workshop

KOTA KINABALU: The tourism industry in Sabah must fully embrace the information and communications technology if it was to modernize and effectively reach out to today’s consumers. Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said that industry players can benefit from relevant training to move in tandem in terms of digital marketing and build a stronger branding for Sabah. For this, Sabah Tourism will be organizing a Digital Tourism Workshop on January 23-24 which is open to industry players and interested business owners. The speaker will be Damien Cook, founder and CEO of E-Tourism Frontiers who has made presentations in international forums including the World Information Summit in Tunis, the Global Experts Panel on E-Tourism, ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse) in Berlin as well as PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Tourism Forums. E-Tourism Frontiers has worked with South African Tourism, Indonesia Ministry of Tourism, Athens and Rhodes Tourism (Greece) to name a few, and has partnered with TripAdvisor, Facebook, YouTube, Expedia and Google. This first ever workshop will be subsidized by Sabah Tourism Board. Early bird fee is RM500 per participant until January 12, and normal fees will be RM650. Closing date for registration is January 17. To register, contact Francesca Lydia francesca@sabahtourism.com or call 088-232121.   Source: Borneo Post
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