14Mar

Sabah goes into overdrive to woo more European tourists

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is actively engaging with European tourism players at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin to bring in more travellers from the region into the state. The international tourism market trade fair, held in Germany recently, saw Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew, who is also in charge of the state’s tourism portfolio, led Sabah delegation to discuss potential collaboration with European travel agencies. The collaboration would focus on promoting the state as a premier international tourist destination to European travellers. Liew, in a statement, said the discussions paved the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Joint Marketing and Promotion Campaign between Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and two European travel agents. “This will bring the number of MoUs to three, including one with Diethelm Travel Kota Kinabalu Sdn Bhd,” she said. At the 2019 ITB Berlin, Liew also met with June Nielsen, the owner and managing director of InterTravel, Denmark which was founded in 1978, to discuss possible collaboration. InterTravel is the travel agent that caters to travellers who are looking for unique travel experiences and have individual demands on destinations, mode or transportation and safety. It has promoted Malaysia and Borneo in Europe for more than 30 years. The cooperation proposal between STB and IntraTravel involves Joint Marketing and Promotion Campaign in Denmark via workshops, newspaper ads targeted at 250,000 readers and Facebook advertising. “We offer beach holidays, package tours and fly-drive on either individual basis or as part of a group. "We assure our prospective clients (from Denmark) of the personal service of some of the most well-travelled consultants in the Danish travel industry,” said Nielsen. Liew, who was accompanied by STB chairman Ken Pan Ying On and general manager Suzaini Sabdin Ghani, also discussed marketing cooperation with Tischler Reisen AG managing director Michael Metzner. Based on the discussion, which is to be followed by an MoU, the cooperation proposal between STB and the German travel agency is for the period from April to November this year. It encompasses online promotion in the Tischler media and external media (in cooperation with Tourism Malaysia) and Sabah special page in two Tischler Newspapers “Tischler Reise Welten” and “Tischler Aktuell.” These will be distributed to private customers and travel agencies Germany-wide and during Tischler promotion events or seminars for travel agents as well as the travel fairs from January to March 2020. In addition, there will be a special Sabah promotion with selected travel agencies in co-operation with Tourism Malaysia. Source: New Straits Times
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25Feb

Sabah looks to Europe to boost tourism

KOTA KINABALU: European tourists will be Sabah’s focus as it consolidates on strong annual tourist arrivals from China. The move is to further diversify its tourism market that was highly dependent on the thriving China tourist market, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
Liew, who is state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said that it was important to balance out the tourism market by encouraging more western tourists to visit the state. “We will kick off our campaign to promote Sabah to other countries, starting with Germany in March. Year open house would be held on Feb 5 in the Hakka Hall here. “We are targeting more Europeans as we want to balance the numbers, not only increasing the number of Chinese tourists, but also American, European and Australian tourists, as well as those from Malaysia," she said. Liew was confident that Sabah was in the right position to draw in European tourists as there was connectivity with Royal Brunei Airlines and China Southern Airlines flying direct to Sabah. Dismissing claims that there was a drop in Chinese tourist arrivals in Sabah, she said that more then 500,000 tourists from China had visited Sabah last year, which surpassed the target. “We have yet to compile the arrivals for December 2018,” she said, adding that Chinese tourists were no longer just staying in Kota Kinabalu but were travelling to other parts of the state including northern Kudat, eastern Sandakan and Tawau. “Maybe people see fewer Chinese tourists in Kota Kinabalu and assume that there is a drop. They are coming and heading to other parts of the state,” she said. Liew also said that the state was expecting a large number of tourists coming for the Chinese New Year season next month. “Some of our top hotels are fully booked already,” she said, adding that Sabah receives some 117 direct flights from nine cities in China weekly.
Source: The Star Online
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22Oct

Sabah to tap more markets from Europe, US, Australia, New Zealand

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is planning to “balance” the tourism sector, especially among foreigners, said State Tourism and Culture minister Datuk Christina Liew. “Sabah has been putting focus on China market which takes about 50 per cent of tourist arrivals in the state. “The (Tourism, Arts and Culture) ministry, through Sabah Tourism Board, needs to balance influx of tourists to the state through participation in roadshows to explore and tap more markets from Europe, United States, Australia and New Zealand,” she said, adding that the Board would be sending representatives to World Travel Market in London next month to promote Sabah. Liew, who is also Api-Api state assemblyman, was speaking at a press conference after site inspection at Sinsuran, Segama, Bandaran and Kampung Air here. It was reported that Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents had said the occupancy rate of hotels had fallen to 50 to 60 per cent in October, as compared to an average of 80 to 85 per cent occupancy in the same period last year. Liew, however, said the ministry was optimistic with the oriental market as China knows the State’s attractions such as the mountains, sea and food. “Next week there will be a press conference on this (tourists from China) whereby Southern China Airlines will have more flights (coming into Sabah),” she said. On the site inspection, Liew said it was to fulfil her election promise to solve issues on hygiene, and repair works, among others, in the constituency. She said the constituency’s Community Development Leaders unit office and website would be established soon for people to lodge complaints and check on distribution of development fund. Meanwhile, on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement on two terms limit for people’s representatives, Liew said there were many things that could be done within the period. “However, whether it is sufficient (to bring significant changes), I will leave it to wisdom of top leadership and the time they need to repair the country’s debts,” she added.   Source: New Straits Times
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