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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Sabah hosts WAGC Final 2019

KOTA KINABALU, 12 March 2019: Amateur golfers from around the world will head for Sabah, Malaysia this October to play in the 25th World Amateur Golfers Championship. WAGC’s World Final 2019 Borneo Malaysia will take place 19 to 26 October in Kota Kinabalu. It includes the finals with players representing up to 40 countries and an invitational tournament. Play will unfold at four of the state’s top competition golf courses; Sutera Harbour Marina Golf and Country Club; Sabah Golf and Country Club; Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai and Dalit Bay Golf and Country Club. The 500-room Pacific Sutera Hotel in Kota Kinabalu features 500 rooms and one of the golf courses played in the tournament is the official hotel partner. Tourism Malaysia is the main sponsor along with Perodua as the title sponsor. The tournament will be organised by Delta Trend Golf & Leisure Holidays. World Golfers Championship Ltd the owner of WAGC signed long-term agreement with Delta Trend Golf & Travel, last year to contract host countries for World Finals, secure sponsors and together with local companies manage, plan and stage the World Finals. Winners of national tournaments that cover multiple rounds are shortlisted to play for their countries to play in the World Final 2019. Around 40 national teams from across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania will compete in the Finals. Tourism Malaysia chairm, Datuk Ahmad Shah Hussein Tambakau, told a press conference last week the prestigious tournament would underscore Sabah’s position as a top golf destination. “Although the championship will be held in Sabah, it is also a national effort. Such a major tournament was only made possible through sponsorship by our second car manufacturer Perodua and the support of Tourism Malaysia with officials playing a pivotal role in coordination as cooperation from many government agencies are needed to ensure the championship runs smoothly,” he added. Team Malaysia won the WAGC crown in 2012 and 2015, and came in second runners-up in 2016 and last year. The World Finals were held in Johor, Malaysia in 2018. https://www.worldgolfers.com (Source: Tourism Malaysia)
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Lahad Datu Blue Hole holds huge tourism potential

LAHAD DATU: Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu, is poised to be a world tourism spot with the discovery of an iconic scuba diving site known as The Blue Hole in Tingkayu Corals in the bay. The finding was recorded on Feb 14 by a group of divers including researchers from Sabah Parks (TTS) who joined the scientific expedition to collect marine data at Darvel Bay. Unlike other blue holes in the world, the blue hole in this bay has two structures with each hole 15 metres deep into the seabed. Relating the matter, TTS senior research officer, Nasrulhakim Maidin said the blue hole is probably the only such feature in Sabah and maybe even in Malaysia. “If this sunken coral structure (like a cave in water) is promoted as a diving site, it could become a major tourist attraction such as The Great Blue Hole of Belize (Central America), Blue Hole Dean (Bahamas), apart from Dragon Blue Hole (China),” he said when met recently. According to him, they stumbled upon the find when a remote sensing map detected a coral area and they found a blue hole instead. “We explored both blue holes and could cover the site with just one tank of gas. The experience was amazing when we came out of the blue hole from the left to the right, we were like moving over a mountain range in the sea,” he said and added the place could be opened to divers apart from becoming a sea-walking spot,” he said. Nasrulhakim said the blue hole could be promoted as one of the tourist diving sites as it is strategically located near Sipadan Island in Semporna. “If we take a boat from Silam Coast Conservation Area (SCCA) to the blue hole, it will take about 30 minutes and from Sipadan, an hour and it will take two hours by tourist boat from Semporna to the blue hole in Darvel Bay,” he said. However, according to him, to bring this gem into the eyes of the world, Darvel Bay which is about 100,000 hectares encompassing the blue hole and 50 islands should be gazetted by the state government as a marine preservation area. The move is necessary to realise the development of Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu as an international tourism destination based on the concept of ecotourism or research tourism. “The gazette is the initial measure to preserve marine lives in the area like the blue hole which we found has lots of corals but minimal presence of fish. “When we dived to a depth of 13 metres, we found 10 fish traps (bubu) but they appeared discarded a long time ago and we observed there were no groupers (fish) sighted in the area,” he said. He said gazetting the place would make Lahad Datu as the preferred tourism destination which could in turn contribute to state revenue. “Last year alone, Sabah earns RM7.8 billion from tourism and this income can be further expanded with the latest product like Darvel Bay,” he said and added they also found four other diving spots in bay. Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah Borneo Marine Research Institute lecturer, Assoc Prof Dr Juanita Joseph, said the expedition also recorded the finding of two turtle species, the green turtle and sea hawksbill turtle in the area. “These wild turtles were found in Pulau Baik and Pulau Tabawan and it was also observed that there is sea grass which is what turtles feed on. “Interviews with fishermen and security forces personnel in Tabawan also confirmed the presence of turtles in the island,” he said. According to her, if the government gazette the bay, more turtles will be attracted to the island as a safe haven such Semporna apart from restoring the coral destroyed by fish bombs. In this regard, Juanita said the beach and sea in several areas of Darvel Bay need cleaning up due to rubbish washed up from the sea. Apart from rubbish, she said old fish traps and ghost nets dumped into the sea could contribute to killing marine lives such as turtles. On Feb 11, 21 researchers from Sabah Parks, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Remote Sensing Agency took part in 2019 Darvel Bay Scientific Expedition. The week-long programme was organised by Sabah Foundation and Lahad Datu District Office. — Bernama
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Tawau folks urged to work with Govt on tourism

TAWAU: Deputy Chief Minister-cum-State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew encouraged more Tawau folks to step out and work together with the State Government in developing Tawau’s tourism industry. Christina said the State government is always ready to cooperate with the Tawau community in seeking their opinions and suggestions on the growth of the tourism sector. They are always welcomed to submit their proposals or to participate in a brainstorming session with the Sabah Tourism Board. Apart from that, they could also write into the office of Tawau parliamentary office if they had any issues. She contributed RM20,000 in education aid for the Sabah Chinese High School (SCHS), here, Tuesday in a conjunction with the school’s Chinese New Year festival celebration. The fund was presented by Chief Communication Officer-cum-Apas Community Development Leader Fung Thin Yein to the Chairman of the School Board of Director Chia Yaw and his treasurer Wai Teck Chong.
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Tawau Airport expansion may start year end

PUTRAJAYA: Prospects are bright for the proposed expansion and development of the Tawau Airport to cater to the influx of tourists from China and other countries.Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Christina Liew, said this after an inaugural official meeting with the Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, at the Federal Government Administrative Centre, here, Monday.“The Tawau Airport is the second largest airport in Sabah after KKIA. I am glad to have met the Minister of Transport. We have had a fruitful discussion,” she said.During their discussion, she disclosed that in 2018, the Tawau Airport recorded 1.64 million passengers with 19.7pc growth, the fourth highest in terms of passenger growth after KLIA, Kota Kinabalu and Penang airports. “This means that the airport has exceeded its capacity of 1.4 million passengers commencing operations as a domestic airport in 2001.”Liew, who is Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said the ball is at Sabah’s feet and if everything goes smoothly as planned, commencement of works should take place by the end of the year.Loke concurred with the Sabah Minister that Tawau is the gateway to the eastern part of Sabah, especially to the world-class diving sites at Sipadan and Mabul off Semporna, and to the world-renowned Danum Valley in Lahad Datu. The East Coast of Sabah has a huge potential for tourism development.“Infrastructure development, especially for airports, will never go wrong. If your tourism product is there, it will even be easier. We (Government) are changing the whole landscape of the airport industry in the country. MAHB can have a Sabah cluster,” he said.Meanwhile, the Transport Minister expressed support for Liew’s suggestion for Visa On Arrival (VOS) for tourist arrivals from China and India within a specific period. He, however, is in favour of having Visa Free facility to ensure that foreign tourists from China, India and Korea are hassle-free when entering the country. Liew was accompanied by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, William Baya, Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board (STB), Ken Pan Ying On and General Manager of STB, Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani. Also present were the Minister’s Private Secretary, Helen Muhammari, STB Senior Marketing Manager, Tay Shu Lan, MAHB Director (Stakeholder Relations & Regulatory Affairs), Datuk Abdullah Kadir Bacha and Senior General Manager (Commercial Services), Mohammad Nazli Abdul Aziz.Earlier, Liew met with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Group Chief Executive Officer, Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin at the Malaysia Airports Corporate Office at KLIA.Tawau tops the list of six airports in the country that have been earmarked for expansion and development.He assured Liew that he is committed to the Tawau Expansion and Development Proposal for implementation as soon as possible.Raja Azmi, who had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Minister in Sabah earlier, reiterated that the proposal encompasses upgrading of the facilities at the airport, provision of a surau, increasing the number of immigration counters and improving the existing toilets, among other measures. Source: Daily Express
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