Sabah’s hotel occupancy rates hit a high

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s hotel occupancy rates are hitting the 92% mark, which is among the highest in the country, state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said.

He said Sabah still needed another 5,000 hotel rooms, adding however, that investors should be careful before getting into the hospitality sector.

“Do not build hotels in places where no one will come to stay.

“Investors must do the necessary studies to avoid incurring losses,” Masidi said when launching an exhibition organised by Malaysian Association of Hotels Sabah and Labuan and the Asian Tourism International College.

Besides picking strategic locations for their hotels, Masidi also noted that visitors from the various regions had different requirements.

While those from China were contented to spend time in the islands, beaches and resorts, he said those from Europe preferred to enjoy Sabah’s diverse flora and fauna.

“It is no surprise that 80% of visitors who go to the wildlife rich Lower Kinabatangan are from Europe.”

On laments by some hotel operators in the Sandakan that their business was languishing, Masidi said the state had done its part by carrying out promotional efforts for the east coast Sabah district.

This included the recent Sandakan food fair in Hong Kong which received overwhelming response, he said.

“We must bear in mind that we are competing against some of the world’s best, including Bali and the Philippines,” he said, adding that Sabah needed to promote its unique traits, including having 32 ethnic communities.

Source: The Star