Chinese, Japanese Tourists In 24 Chartered Flights To Sabah

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 10 (Bernama) — Sabah will be expecting 24 chartered flights carrying tourists from South Korea and Japan at the end of the year.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said this, in response to a question from Datuk Au Kam Wah (BN-Elopura), at the State Legislative Assembly here today.

He said 20 of the flights, from South Korea, would be bringing in 3,000 visitors between Dec 23, 2014 and Jan 3, 2015.

The remaining four flights would be bringing in 1,030 visitors from Japan between Dec 30, 2014 and Jan 3, 2015.

“I have been made to understand that Sabah would be receiving four chartered Malaysia Airlines flights from China and two from Taipei next year, in conjunction with Chinese New Year,” he said.

Masidi said despite the terrorist intrusion in Tanduo, Lahad Datu and kidnapping incidents, tourist arrival from other destinations except China, had recorded an increase.

In the first eight months of the year, the number of tourists from South Korea was 83,031, while from Japan, 26,673, an increase of 18.7 per cent and 27.7 per cent respectively, compared to the same period last year.

He said the same period recorded 21,103 Australian tourists and 56,646 European tourists, an increase of 3.4 per cent and 13.1 per cent respectively.

Masidi attributed the growth to the strategies and efforts undertaken by the ministry through the Sabah Tourism Board to offset the negative incidents.

In 2013, visitors from China represented 33.1 per cent of the state’s total international tourist arrival.

Between January and April, tourists from China numbered 153,768, compared to 103,917 in the same period last year, an increase of 48 per cent. However, the figure plunged by 37 per cent following the terrorist intrusion and kidnappings.

Source: Bernama