All information of tourism sabah

07Dec

Birdwatching as new tourism package.

Sandakan: Birdwatching is the fastest growing outdoor activity that has the potential to be one of the main tourism contributors in the State. Permanent Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Datuk Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai, said if birdwatching can be properly exposed, it can be among prominent players in Sabah's tourism sector. "I was told that Sabah is home to some 688 types of bird species which attracted not only local but also international birdwatchers. "Sabah is also rich in eco-tourism and birdwatchers are know to do their birdwatching in well-known eco-tourism spots. "There are around seven places in the State that are visited regularly by birdwatchers such as Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre, Danum Valley, Kinabalu Park, Likas Bay and Tabin," he said. He said in order to encourage and boost the birdwatching activity and turn it into a tourism package, the Ministry will organise a meeting with the tour operators. Datu Rosmadi was speaking at the opening of 10th Borneo Bird Festival at Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). Meanwhile, he advised tourism players to shoulder their obligation as the custodian of the environment, thus, appreciating the world class eco-tourism spots in Sabah. Also present at the ceremony were President of Sandakan Borneo Bird Club Sabah, Gary Albert, Chief Conservator of Sabah Forestry Department, Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini, Elopura Assemblyman Calvin Chong, speakers, birdwatchers and members of the public. In the ceremony, Datu Rosmadi also launched "A naturalist's guide to the Birds of Borneo" written by Wong Tsu Shi, a keen photographer who is in interested in the photo-documentation of the birds of Borneo. His book is an easy-to-use identification guide to 280 birds found in Borneo covering Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan including the most commonly seen and rare endemic species. The two-day event was enlivened with various activities such as talks, bird photography, guided birdwatching, bird mimic contest, bird race, booth exhibitions, Borneo bird run and so forth. - Winnie Kasmir   Source : Daily Express
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07Dec

STB’s first Christmas celebration

Kota Kinabalu: Gaya Street was transformed into a fairyland of lights and carols Tuesday for Sabah Tourism Board's (STB) first Christmas celebration.Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Christina Liew, when launching the event, said the Christmas tree placed in front of the historic century-old STB office was made out of daily reusable items including plastic cups, cake covers, ice cream sticks, clothes pegs and others. "In all of our initiatives and events this year, we have been emphasising on cleanliness and no single-use plastic, in our efforts to ensure a clean and unpolluted Sabah," she said. Children who were present were overjoyed when Liew and her Ministry staff along with STB started distributing presents to children from Pediatrics Ward of the Sabah Hospital for Women and Children in Likas.She commended STB for attracting a large number of locals and tourists for the festive celebration. "I am pleased to see a huge crowed supporting this huge event and I hope this will be a tradition where we, regardless of backgrounds and ethnicities, come together to mark the year-end holiday season here in Kota Kinabalu," she said. Many stalls were set up offering local products besides food and drink stalls as well food trucks. - Locksley Ng Source : Daily Express
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07Dec

Sabah Govt launches weekly night market in Gaya Street to boost tourism.

KOTA KINABALU: Tourists and visitors looking for a quick taste of Sabah can now stroll along Gaya Street to check out the various handicraft and local bites at the weekly Api Api Night Food Market. The inaugural weekend night market at the city's famous Gaya Street will take place every Friday and Saturday, starting from 6pm to 2am. Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said one way to boost tourism and inject soul to the city is by attracting many people to Gaya Street, which was already popular for its Sunday morning fairs. "A holiday in Kota Kinabalu will not be complete without visiting the Night Food Market or Gaya Street Fair, where there is plenty to see and learn about local culture and food. Liew, who is also the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, said Gaya Street was selected as the location due to its historical features, with some of its shops built over 100 years ago. Other efforts to keep the city vibrant and buzzing with activity included setting aside the section of Gaya Street, known as Lintasan Deasoka, for food trucks. "Lintasan Deasoka itself will become a spot for entertainers to display their talent. It can also be a place to hold events such as fashion shows and dance performances. "This will add value and lend an air of festivity to the night market," she said on Saturday (Dec 1). Liew said for tourists to choose Sabah as their annual holiday destination, the authorities must ensure that public toilets and food premises are always clean, in addition to properly maintaining public facilities. "The key is cleanliness because no tourist would want to return if basic considerations such as cleanliness are absent. Keep Kota Kinabalu clean. Keep Sabah clean. "Cleanliness is not only essential to ensure a healthy life for everybody, but it is also important if we want tourists to keep coming back," she elaborated. According to Liew, another aspect that must not be neglected is security. "Only barely two weeks ago, the KK Watch was launched to help boost security in the city. "This patrol team was formed to make Kota Kinabalu a safe city and so people can feel secure when walking the streets at night," she said. Source : Star Online
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07Dec

Call to activate Tourism Action Council in 26 districts next year

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew wants the respective Tourism Action Council in 26 districts to be activated by next year. She said most of the districts in Sabah had a Tourism Action Council set up with the assistance of the Sabah Tourism Board. “Each council is responsible for identifying and developing their respective products for the benefit of their own district and people. “This coming New Year there will many more tourists coming by regular flights and chartered flights, and income from tourism will also increase. This is one of the ways to enhance each distrct’s economy. “We also want balanced tourism in Sabah, not just focused on Kota Kinabalu, Mount Kinabalu and the resort islands but all the across the state,” she said after launching the Community-Based Tourism Roadshow here. Liew said community-based tourism would be able to enhance all districts and towns into business entities that could contribute to the state’s economy. She said the state government through her ministry could provide the necessary infrastructure for all districts to heighten the experience for visitors. “Whenever a District Tourism Council identifies its products to be promoted as tourism products, they will let us (ministry) know. Our officers will go down to work with them,” Liew said. The two-day Community-Based Tourism Roadshow saw a total of 16 participants compared to only four last year. Earlier, in her speech, Liew said up to September this year, tourism had already generated an estimated RM6.2bil in receipts or 7% compared to last year, for the state’s economy. She said tourist arrivals were up 5.1% or 2.865 million compared to the same period last year. – Bernama Source :  Star Online
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27Nov

Sabah to promote rural tourism through community-based roadshow

KOTA KINABALU (Bernama) – Sabah Tourism Board (STB) will hold a two-day community-based tourism roadshow to promote rural tourism attractions beginning tomorrow, said State Tourism, Culture And Environment Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Datu Rosmadi Sulai.

The roadshow, which is being held for the second time, aimed to encourage foreign and domestic tourists to travel to the rural areas, which in turn would generate income for the residents there, he said.

“Fourteen districts are participating in the programme this year compared with four in 2017. Furthermore, the programme will include a plastic-free campaign organised with a water filter company to persuade the public to minimise plastic use,” he told a press conference on the programme yesterday.

Datu Rosmadi said the roadshow involved the cooperation between the public sector – STB and Sri Pelancongan Sabah – and the private sector, namely Suria Sabah shopping mall that provided the event’s venue.

Besides rural attractions, the roadshow would also promote rural tourism products such as village stay, camping, and ecotourism activities, he noted.

To further boost community-based tourism industry’s growth in the rural areas, Datu Rosmadi said, tourism action councils had been activated in most districts in the state to identify and develop tourism-related products for the benefit of the locals and the state economy.
Source: Borneo Bulletin
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