All information of tourism sabah

02Mar

Ctrip travellers spend RM1,000 on stay

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Tourism Board, Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani, meeting members from Ctrip, one of the China's leading online travel agents. Ctrip has total registered members of 260 million on website and WeChat. Ctrip provides an online platform for travellers to make bookings for accommodation and ticketing. According to Nicole Goh from Ctrip International Travel Malaysia Sdn Bhd, travellers' average spending for accommodation to Sabah is around RM1,000, with an estimated 40,000 room nights per month. Sabah received a total of 431,026 Chinese tourists last year. Last year, Sabah Tourism together with Ctrip brought in Chinese bloggers to Sabah. This joint promotional activity successfully reached out to over 4 million people in China through its website. Through Ctrip and Silk Air, Sabah is penetrating into second-tier cities such as Chengdu and Changsha. Sabah Tourism will continue the effort to work closely with Ctrip to promote and create awareness of Sabah through social media platforms. Source: Daily Express
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02Mar

KDCA opens Hongkod Koisaan Cultural Unity Centre in Penampang

PENAMPANG: The Hongkod Koisaan Cultural Unity Centre was officially opened to the public by the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) here yesterday. The cultural village, which has been the main venue of the annual Kaamatan (Harvest) festival since 1989, showcases and preserves the rich cultural heritage of the multi-tribal Kadazandusun people. Deputy chief minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also the Huguan Siou (Kadazandusun paramount leader), said the cultural village was opened as a visitor attraction due to keen interest shown by tourists eager to learn more about the lives of the Kadazandusun. The village currently features 11 traditional houses, an Unduk Ngadau gallery, a gift shop, a mini-local restaurant and an open performance stage. Pairin said the village is at its most resplendent during the Kaamatan festival. "At the heart of the festival each year is (this village), where our Kadazandusun cultural heritage expresses itself. "I would like to commend the KDCA management committee for turning this village (into) an educational centre for cultural tourism through the dances, music, handicrafts, exhibitions and traditional sporting matches of some of the 15 sub-tribes of the Kadazandusun community," he said during the launch. Also present at the event was Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai. Pairin added that the village and the festival have highlighted Sabah’s vibrant and diverse indigenous people to the world. "I (also wish to) thank the Sabah state government for its continuous subsidy funding for the festival since 1960," he added. The cultural village is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9am to 4pm. The entrance fee is RM25 for Malaysians and RM35 for non-Malaysians. For guided tours, prospective visitors must make a reservation through the KDCA or tour agents. Source: New Straits Times
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01Mar

Beach, scenery and shopping: Why more Chinese are visiting Kota Kinabalu for CNY

PETALING JAYA, Feb 26 — Yearning for the perfect selfie, Chinese tourists are increasingly choosing Sabah as their vacation destination. State Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said Sabah's stunning backdrops and locals’ ability to speak Chinese dialects made the Chinese nationals more “at home” during the Lunar New Year, reported the South China Morning Post. “We are unique because we are ‘the best Malaysians’. We don't have any problem with racial harmony and a lot of the non-Chinese here speak Chinese,” Masidi was quoted as saying. “This gives a lot of confidence to the Chinese tourists because they feel they are at home. We speak the language but we don’t have the crowds or traffic jams and we have the cleanest air in Malaysia. “Our beautiful scenery and islands make it perfect for their favourite activity: taking selfies.” SCMP reported that Chinese visitors to Sabah were increasing, with the East Malaysian state now in the top 10 of destinations for the 6.5 million Chinese nationals holidaying abroad during the Lunar New Year. Last year, 431,000 Chinese nationals visited Sabah, accounting for 35 per cent of all arrivals in the state and 75 per cent higher compared to 2015. “We are getting a lot more of the cosmopolitan types,” Masidi said of Sabah. “They speak some basic English, they are younger, and they know exactly what they want from the holiday so they just travel on their own without tour groups.” In Kota Kinabalu, the top three attractions listed by Chinese visitors were “viewing natural scenery”, “relaxing by the beach” and “shopping”, according to surveys. Air connectivity is also highlighted as a reason more of its people are heading to East Malaysia. Out of 186 international flights into Sabah each week, 86 are from China. Masidi called on private investors and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take advantage of the tourism boom and pump more money into the state.   Source: Malay mail Online
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23Feb

First special direct charter flight to Sandakan brings 160 tourists from Taiwan

SANDAKAN: A total of 160 tourists from Taiwan became the first group of passengers arriving in Sandakan Airport on a special direct charter flight from the country today. It was an initiative of tour agency, Taikar Sdn Bhd, with cooperation from its Taiwanese counterpart, Sunrise Express Travel Service Co. Ltd, using Malindo Air flight. The arrival of the tourists at 10.50am was given a grand welcome in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration. Also present were Sabah Tourism Board general manager Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani and Sandakan Municipal Council secretary Faridah Giau. Speaking to reporters, Suzaini said the initiative was in line with the state government's efforts to bring tourists to other districts of the state and not to focus only to Kota Kinabalu. "This is their first attempt and I hope more tour agencies, airlines and hotel operators would collaborate in this kind of partnership to enable more tourists from Taiwan to visit Sandakan," Suzaini said. During their stay here until next Tuesday, the tourists would be brought to visit Bakkungan Kecil Island, Libaran Island, Puu Jih Shih Temple, Orang Utan Conservation Centre in Sepilok, Gumantong Cave and enjoy the wildlife habitat along the Kinabatangan River For the record, 62,121 tourists from Taiwan were recorded to have visited Sabah last year, which was an increase of 12% from the number recorded in 2016. Earlier at 2am today, 90 local tourists boarded a similar special charter flight from the Sandakan Airport heading to Taiwan. Source: Bernama
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23Feb

Pitas poised to become Sabah’s emerging tourism growth centre

PITAS, Feb 18 — With untapped beaches and other tourist attraction spots, Pitas is set to be Sabah’s new tourism growth centre. State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said there would be a focus given to the district for the implementation of tourism infrastructure. “I will call Pitas Assemblyman Datuk Bolkiah Ismail, and Datuk Seri Dr Ruddy Awah, who is the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Pitas chairman, for a discussion soon on how we can turn Pitas to be Sabah’s northern region new tourism growth area,” he said at the Chinese New Year 1 Malaysia Fiesta Pitas Level, here last night. He said his ministry would play its role in ensuring the tourism development in the district especially at Kg Solimpodon Laut would take place. “Sabah is moving in tandem with national development in the area of tourism due to its attraction and the people’s friendliness as well as the leadership unity,” he said. Masidi disclosed some 3.7 million tourist arrivals were recorded last year, contributing to tourism receipts amounting to almost RM7.8 billion. “With the increase in tourist arrivals, the number of hotel also increased but still could not cope with the demand which led to the emergence of the rural tourism sector through the development of homestays and hotels,” he said. He said the state’s booming tourism industry has turned Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) into the second busiest airport in the country after KL International Airport (KLIA). “We recorded at least 184 international flights landing at KKIA every week, 410 domestic flights and we have 86 direct flights from China, which is more than the figure recorded in KLIA,” Masidi said. He said the part of the Pan-Borneo Highway Sabah projects from Tuaran to Kudat would commence soon and that would give economic benefits to Pitas and its surroundings. “We hope the local business community would take advantage of the ongoing development projects and my advice to landlords is not to sell their land as their property value will increase,” he said. — Bernama Source: Bernama
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