15Mar

Ministry’s Support For Capsule Hotel in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU:  The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment supports the ‘capsule hotel’ concept which is increasingly becoming popular in the world. Its Minister Datuk Christina Liew said this type of budget hotel with self-contained accommodation units will be in demand, given the booming tourism industry in Sabah. “Apart from conventional hotels, I would encourage existing or potential investors to consider investing in capsule hotels to meet the growing demand for accommodation facilities. “Such facility is a solution provider as we need rooms, especially now when we are so short of hotel rooms. It is an ideal hotel for those in the outskirts coming to the city to attend conferences, seminars or meetings. “It will also provide employment opportunities for locals,” she said after a courtesy call by a delegation from JSK Group led by its Managing Director, Datuk Johnny C.Y. Wong. Liew, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said a capsule hotel can be a ‘transit point’ for travellers who need a place to rest before catching the next flight. A capsule hotel (also known as a pod hotel) is a type of hotel developed in Japan that features a large number of small bed-sized rooms known as capsules. Capsule hotels provide cheap, basic overnight accommodation to travellers who do not require or cannot afford larger, more expensive rooms offered by conventional hotels. Briefing the Minister, Wong, who is involved in the tourism industry, said the capsule hotel, which originated from Japan, has since been adopted in many countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, USA, Australia, China, Korea and Russia. “Given its affordability, cleanliness and safety features, travellers patronising capsule hotels is a current trend. The fare for this low-budget hotel is only RM70 to RM80 per night. “We have both single and double capsule. When two capsules are put together, it is like a container. For privacy, there can be four capsules in one room for four persons respectively. Alternatively, the capsules are placed in one big hall,” he explained. Wong, who is also Managing Director of the W Group, revealed his proposal for a capsule hotel with rooftop recreation at Sadong Jaya, here. “Our market survey shows there is a genuine need for capsule hotels in the State capital. Domestic customers aside, we are looking at 250 pax mainly from the FIT (Free Independent Traveller or Tourist) category. “We will submit our building plan for the proposed renovation of four blocks of shop lots to serve as a capsule hotel to the relevant authorities. “In the meantime, we will place an order for the capsules from China, and these will be installed when the renovation works are completed. “We hope to get off the ground by October this year to capitalise on the peak season,” he said, adding it could be the biggest such hotel in Sabah when ready for occupancy. Meanwhile, an ambitious Wong also disclosed plans for an international resort and entertainment centre at Jalan Lok Kawi, Beringgis in Papar, to cater to international tourists. He said it will consist of 250 units of service apartments/business suites and 200 units of hotel rooms while the proposed entertainment centre will provide facilities such as a spa, swimming pool and ballroom  (or banquet hall). “To attract visitors and tourists, we will promote seawater sports involving the use of jet ski, water scooter, banana boat and the like. And to facilitate connection from the resort to nearby islands, a jetty and sea transport will be made available,” he added. The islands off Kinarut include Pulau Dinawan, Pulau Ampak-Ampak and Pulau Mantukud about 30 minutes’ boat ride from the mainland. To turn an existing fruit farm at Kinarut into an orchard villa, surrounded by jungle, Wong plans to build 60 units of villa complete with an adventure park. Also present were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, William Baya, Sabah Parks Head of Parks Management, Justinus Guntavid, JSK Development Sdn Bhd Director of Development (Hospitality), Peter T.S. Wang, JSK Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd General Manager, Tony Kam and JSK Business Development Manager, Leonard Leow. Source: Sabah News Today
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15Mar

Mantanani and Darvel Bay move

SEMPORNA: The Sabah Parks will gazette two areas, namely Pulau Mantanani Complex in Kota Belud and Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu, as marine protected areas before 2023.SP Director Dr Jamili Nais said the move was in line with the SP sketch map whereby 10 of the waters of Sabah would have been gazetted by 2023. As such, he said currently, the 100,000ha Darvel Bay encompassing 50 surrounding islands has the potential to be gazetted earlier.‘’If we look at the current situation, in terms of timeline, the process has started and maybe (gazette) at the end of this year or early 2020, but most probably we gazette in the first quarter of 2020,’’ he said. Subsequently, Jamili said the Pulau Mantanani Complex would be gazetted in two years. In a scientific expedition organised by the Sabah Foundation in February, researchers found numerous interesting and unique marine data in Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu, which could be conserved and used for international tourism. Among the findings were several iconic diving sites, including blue holes (underwater sinkholes) and marine resources such as wild turtles and healthy corals. Quoting a local news portal, the operator of a diving centre Pirate Divers Glen Hapirulla, who is a native of Lahad Datu and an experienced diver, said 55 diving sites had been explored, including blue holes, in the waters of Silam since 2009. The Pulau Mantanani Complex is a resort area which is becoming increasingly popular as a diving recreational site among international tourists. Meanwhile, Sabah Parks is exploring the need for porters or mountain guides to accompany visitors up Pulau Bohey Dulang’s 700m high peak, just like in the Gunung Kinabalu National Park.“Bohey Dulang allows three times more climbers up its mountain compared to Gunung Kinabalu which allows just 135 people,” said Sabah Parks Board of Trustees Chairman, Mohd Amin Abd Mem.“At the moment, there are 250 guides and 100 porters registered with Sabah Parks who are able to go with climbers up Gunung Kinabalu to look out for their safety and bring their belongings.“So like the local community there, becoming a guide on Bohey Dulang would improve the income of the people here who could make RM230 per visitor on a two-day, one-night hike,” he said. On Tuesday, a new hiking route was opened for visitors to the island which is a 30-minute boat ride from Semporna town on the mainland. Sabah Parks worker, Ali Hassan, said 300 to 700 people, especially tourists from China, visit a day. Source: Daily Express
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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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14Mar

Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu to be gazetted in 2020

SEMPORNA: The Sabah Parks (SP) will gazette two areas, namely, Pulau Mantanani Complex in Kota Belud and Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu as marine protected areas before 2023. SP director Dr Jamili Nais said the move was in line with the SP sketch map whereby 10 of the waters of Sabah would have been gazetted by 2023. As such, he said that currently, the 100,000 ha Darvel Bay encompassing 50 surrounding islands had the potential to be gazetted earlier. ‘’If we look at the current situation, in terms of timeline, the process has started and maybe (gazette) at the end of this year or early 2020, but most probably we gazette in the first quarter of 2020,’’ he said. He said this when met after a programme to clear rubbish from the sea bottom and beaches of the Tun Sakaran Marine Park here. Subsequently, Jamili said the Pulau Mantanani Complex would be gazetted in two years. In a scientific expedition organised by the Sabah Foundation in February, researchers found numerous interesting and unique marine data in Darvel Bay, Lahad Datu which could be conserved and used for international tourism. Among the findings were several iconic diving sites including blue holes (underwater sinkholes) and marine resources such as wild turtles and healthy corals. Quoting a local news portal, the operator of a diving centre Pirate Divers Glen Hapirulla, who is a native of Lahad Datu and an experienced diver, said 55 diving sites had been explored including blue holes in the waters of Silam since 2009. The Pulau Mantanani Complex is a resort area which is becoming increasingly popular as a diving recreational site among international tourists. – Bernama Source: New Straits Times
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14Mar

‘Blue holes’: Proper planning needed for Darvel Bay to be made tourist attraction

LAHAD DATU: There is a need to have proper planning and sustainable management of Darvel Bay should the area be commercialised in the future. This follows a statement from Sabah Parks, which conducted a scientific expedition at the bay, and reported to media about Malaysia’s only known “blue holes” off Silam waters, here. Local dive instructor Glen Hapirulla, 56, who is also the owner of a dive site Pirate Divers, had led his team to discover and map 60 sites to date including the blue holes in 2017 which they named the Blue Ring reefs. “Since news of the discovery has been shared widely in social media, I have been receiving many inquiries to come and dive at the Blue Ring,” he said, adding that previously people had been sceptical about safety in Lahad Datu due to the history of piracy and the intrusion by armed men from the southern Philippines in 2013. Pirate Divers, being the sole dive operator here, normally sets a limit of eight divers daily at Blue Ring, which is known as “Pakat Tenggiri” among locals as its near fishing grounds for them. “Both holes of the Blue Ring are not connected and the depth is between 14m and 18m, depending on the tide. Hole One has less than 30 per cent that can be explored while Hole Two is more special as it has (what we named) ‘Journalist reef’, which has magnificent corals of different types,” he said, adding that the reef was so named to acknowledge the media’s contribution in promoting Lahad Datu dive sites and conservation efforts. Glen, who is aware of the state government’s efforts to gazette Darvel Bay, said Lahad Datu’s untouched “gems” must not be subjected to “overcrowding” by tourists or it would become a “second Semporna”. “There should not be resorts or (anything else) built mid sea off Lahad Datu waters as it would damage the natural state of underwater life, especially corals. “Divers and visitors should also be screened through ‘one-door’ so that there would be proper monitoring and control of their activities,” he said, adding that the authorities must have strict enforcement of regulations, with a systematic arrangement of visitors’ movements. Glen added that any development should always prioritise locals in terms of employment and affordability in visiting the area. “It would be sad, if, in future, our locals can only see others diving here as they can no longer afford to pay exorbitant prices, just like what is happening in Sipadan island,” he said. Meanwhile, Tungku assemblyman Assafal Alian said the scientific expedition by Sabah Parks was part of the efforts for gazettement. “The whole of Darvel Bay is expected to be gazetted as a protected marine park. It is still in the process, but we hope it will be completed by year-end,” said Assafal, who is also assistant tourism, culture and environment minister. Source: New Straits Times  
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