Sabah a magnet for tourists.

27th March, 2013

Sabah a magnet for tourists.

SABAH, also known as the “Land Below The Wind”, is among one of the country's fastest growing economies driven mainly by its eco-tourism products, palm oil industry and other natural resources.

Home to the nation's highest peak Mount Kinabalu and world-class diving site Sipadan, Sabah draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world annually.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Islands off the Kota Kinabalu capital city is also a popular draw for local and foreign tourists seeking adventure sport holiday packages.

The Danum Valley rainforest conservation area also draws researchers from all over the globe as well as prominent visitors like Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton last year.

 Copyright@1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

Malaysians spread wings to new destinations.

25th March, 2013

Malaysians spread wings to new destinations.

Malaysians are taking advantage of new air links to explore a broader range of tourist destinations, a new study of online bookings has shown.

Travel search site Wego looked at the behaviour of 100,000 travellers using the company’s Malaysian site, www.wego.co.my. The results found that Malaysians searched for 2,500 flight destinations in 2012 – 900 more than in 2011. This trend was matched in terms of accommodation searches, with a rise of 400 hotel destinations taking the total to almost 2,000.

And while Wego noted that regional hubs such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Taipei and Singapore are still most popular, Malaysians appear to be developing an appetite for new destinations, driven by the proliferation of new low-cost air routes being launched from Kuala Lumpur.

“Users are constantly finding new routes with AirAsia, Jetstar, Malindo Air and other carriers which soon become popular, especially if they are seen to be affordable,” said Dean Wicks, Wego’s Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s driving a shift away from the traditional selections of Bali and Phuket in favour of destinations like Bandung, a favourite weekend retreat with Jakarta residents, Hat Yai, Macau and Perth.”

Only a quarter of flight searches on www.wego.com.my are domestic, with Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu trending up, according to Wego, along with Penang and Johor Bahru. And Wicks said he expects Malaysians to expand their horizons further in future, as airlines continued to add new routes.

“AirAsia’s push into India with Chennai as the hub, Malaysia Airlines joining oneworld and teaming up with partners Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Qantas will change the mix again, especially on the mid- to long-haul. Istanbul, for example is another destination gaining share of our Malaysian users’ attention,” he said.

Malaysians are also now moving more up-market. A record 16% searched for five-star properties in 2012, up from less 14% in 2011.

By: Mark Elliott

Copyright@www.traveldailymedia.com

2,000 hotel bookings cancelled.

22^nd March, 2013

2,000 hotel bookings cancelled.

Sandakan: About 2,000 rooms that were booked online with the various hotels here were cancelled following the Suluk terrorist intrusion in Lahad Datu and Semporna recently. It is feared that the situation would lead to the closure of many businesses.

A newly-opened international-class hotel suffered a great loss when 600 guest rooms booked by foreign tourists over the next few months were cancelled.

Tourism industry player, Datuk John Lim Shau Ket, also revealed that renowned local hotels here incurred huge losses when about 90 arrangements were cancelled within one day on March 6. "The misleading information disseminated (by foreign countries) contributed to this phenomenon," he said.

Foreign tourists, he said, were given travel advisory by their respective governments that the East Coast of Sabah had turned into a battlefield. "But the hotspot is actually about 200km from here," he said.

He urged the Federal Tourism Ministry to negotiate with countries that imposed travel advisories through Malaysia's diplomats to lift the ban. "They must explain to the foreign tourists the actual situation here. Especially the hotspot in Felda Sahabat, which is well under control by our security forces," he said.

He said even the inbound tours here were badly affected with similar cancellations the past few weeks. The former Sabah Tourism Board Director said a committee co-named as Sandakan Tourism Association (STA), of which he is protem chairman, has been set up to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, former Sandakan Municipal Council deputy president, Thomas Lau Chi Keong, said the participation of government departments is vital to stop the rumours that were created by irresponsible elements, including by the media in the Philippines. Lau said that by ceasing business operations, it would only create panic among the public. "We must have confidence in our security forces," he said, adding that his cafŽ business dropped by 50 per cent. Lau advised the people to verify the information they received by checking with the police.

Copyright@2013 Sabah Publishing House Sdn. Bhd

Joint committee to help Sabah tourism.

19th March, 2013

Joint committee to help Sabah tourism.

KOTA KINABALU: The State and Federal tourism ministries have agreed to set up a joint ‘Tourism Recovery Committee’ to look at ways to help Sabah tourism industry which has taken a toll because of the ongoing conflict in Lahad Datu.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said that the committee would look into getting people to travel to Sabah again as the intrusion in Lahad Datu had affected the state’s tourism sector.

Masidi said that the committee would start off by setting up a RM500,000 fund on a 50-50 basis between the state and federal governments. “We are trying to put up aggressive advertisements to woo back visitors and the fund will be used to do all the public relations work as we need to ‘sell’ back Sabah to the world.

“The fund that we proposed is going to be jointly managed by the state and federal tourism ministries,” he told reporters after officiating at the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014 briefing for tourism players in the state yesterday.

Masidi said the joint committee was not only an indication of good collaborative relationship between the state and federal governments as it reflects the federal government’s willingness to be fully involved in the recovery process of Sabah’s tourism industry.

“It will be set up and the Tourism Ministry’s Chief Secretary Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng has agreed we will start working immediately. We do believe that with the development that is going on in Lahad Datu and the various decisions that have been made by the government the recovery will be fast,” he said, adding that the fund for the public relations work would be reviewed from time to time.

Masidi also said that all planned tourism events in Sabah such as the annual Regatta Lepa Lepa which is held in Semporna every April would proceed according to plan. As far as Sabah is concerned, nothing has been cancelled or postponed, he said, adding that having the state as part and parcel of VMY 2014 was actually a stamp of confidence in Sabah’s security.

Masidi also lamented that for an industry that is quite young, a lot of people in the state’s tourism sector have been badly affected by the conflict in Lahad Datu. “The tourism receipts for Sabah last year was RM5.2 billion compared to the national revenue of RM60.6 billion and it is just a pittance. This is being divided by many players in the industry and obviously they feel the pinch. Maybe not now but definitely they will feel it after sometime,” he said.

Masidi also expressed hope that the media will publish more positive news about the security situation in Sabah as many people have expressed their wariness about travelling to the state due to what is happening in Lahad Datu. “I understand the fact that we need to amplify the seriousness of the intrusion but now I think that the security forces are on top of the problem so if possible, we should try to make it sound more positive for everyone. What is published in the media will indirectly influence people, I say this because people have told me that they get frightened by what they read,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board Director General Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said that work to be done by the recovery committee would be over and above the Board’s regular promotion program. “We have familiarization tours coming to different parts of the country and that will go on… RM500,000 may not look sufficient but on top of everything we will be doing what is necessary,” he said.

Ong added that the federal Tourism Ministry had confidence in the security situation in Sabah and would be supporting all the activities organised by the state government.

By: Nancy Lai

Copyright@2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

MAS ups its global network capacity.

12th March, 2013

MAS ups its global network capacity.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is increasing its capacity to the routes across its network through additional flights and bigger capacity aircraft for the Northern Summer operating pattern effective March 31, 2013.

In a statement today, group chief executive officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, said the capacity increase was made possible as MAS had taken delivery of an average one 160-seater 737-800 aircraft per month, two more 494-seater A380 and four 283-seater A330-300 aircraft this year.

He said the capacity increase was an integral aspect of MAS' Business Plan and the commitment to improve air connectivity within Malaysia as well as leverage on Asia-Pacific where the demand outlook was strong. "We are confident that our improving fleet size will continue to drive revenue and loads and our return to profitability," he said.

Apart from the Kuala Lumpur-Paris return route that saw a weekly capacity increase of 1,484 seats in each direction with the 494-seater A380 replacing the 282-seater B777-200 from March 1, 2013, the upward capacity changes focus on matching air traffic volume in Asia-Pacific that is expected to see strong growth in 2013 as cargo recovers.

From March 31, 2013, the KL-Manila route weekly frequency will be increased from 25 to 28 B737-800 services with the  additional flights operating on Monday, Friday and Sunday. With the introduction of the three weekly services, this route's capacity is increased by 12 per cent (480 seats) in each direction.

Effective the same day, the daily Boeing 737-800 return frequencies of the airline's KL-Yangon and KL-Colombo routes will also be increased to ten weekly. The three new weekly services for Yangon will be operated on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, while the similar services for Colombo will be operated on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Meanwhile from Apr 1, 2013, a new daily B777-200 service will be introduced on the KL-Dhaka route, making it double daily wide-body operations between Malaysia and Bangladesh, with capacity also increased 100 per cent from that date.

The present daily B777-200 and twice daily B737-800 return flights for KL-Denpasar (Bali) will also have a daily capacity increase by 20 per cent when one of the daily B737-800 service is replaced by B777-200 service effective April 1, 2013.

The five times weekly A330-300 daily service for KL-Brisbane route will be increased to daily flights effective June 17, 2013, adding 566 seats in each direction, representing a 40 per cent capacity increase.

Capacity on the KL-Bandar Seri Begawan will be increased by 11 per cent with the existing four weekly B737-400 services replaced by B737-800 flights effective August 15, 2013.

On the Peninsular Malaysia services, the present 42 B737 weekly KL-Langkawi services will be increased to 49 effective June 15, 2013. The KL-Johor Bahru sector, currently served by 27 weekly B737 flights, will be increased by a further five weekly B737-800 flights effective July 15, 2013.

The KL-Kuching route will see the current 49 weekly B737 services gradually increased to 77 weekly services by August 15, 2013. This will be through the mounting of 19 weekly services effective March 31, 2013, eight weekly services from July 15, 2013 and once weekly service from August 15, 2013.

Similarly the KL-Kota Kinabalu route will also be improved from the current 68 weekly B737 services to 82 weekly services by July 15, 2013.

The KL-Miri route, due to an increase in demand, will see the introduction of 11 additional B737 frequencies with a daily service effective April 15, 2013, thrice weekly service effective July 15, 2013 and once weekly service effective

August 15, 2013.

To cope with similar increased demand, the present seven weekly B737 services for KL-Tawau will be increased by another daily service from June 15, 2013. From the same day, the present 14 weekly KL-Labuan B737 service will be increased by another six weekly B737 services to make it 20 weekly flights. - Bernama

Copyright@The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Tourism Malaysia to woo more wedding tourists from India.

Date: 7 March 2013

Tourism Malaysia to woo more wedding tourists from India.

TOURISM Malaysia, which is eyeing 780,000 tourists from India in 2013, is all geared up to woo more wedding tourism from the country, its Director, Amran Abdul Rahman said. Last year, a total of 691,271 Indians visited Malaysia

"Indians spend lavishly on weddings, especially in the northern region. It is a great market indeed," he said, adding, spending between RM3 million to RM4 million for weddings is very common.

Tourism Malaysia, he said has identified places such as Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Lucknow, as the major markets for wedding related tourism. There have been a few weddings held to date in Malaysia and the favourite destination of wedding couples was Langkawi, Pangkor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

"We started this tourism strategy just four to five years ago and really want to go big on it. The market is so huge that the package could also include chartering a whole aircraft," he told Bernama. "Malaysia also offers exotic destinations like Sabah and Sarawak for Indians who are seeking locations closer to nature," said Amran.

On why there have been only a few weddings, despite the huge potential, he said, the segment is still at a very early stage of development. “One reason why we receive less weddings in Malaysia compared to Thailand, is that the product owners, namely hoteliers are not ready to host such big weddings. Of course, they are used to having Malaysian weddings. But the requirements for Indian weddings are different, especially in terms of food, which a majority of the hoteliers can't cater for," he added.

However, a number of hotels now understand the market and are well prepared to host, "Big Fat Indian Weddings."

On the part of Tourism Malaysia, he said, India’s leading wedding planners have been taken on hosted tours to Malaysia, to discover the best on offer. "We have also tied-up with wedding related magazines to showcase our products as well as participate in wedding fairs," he said. The aim, he added, is to attract more quality weddings and not just quantity.

Besides weddings, he said Tourism Malaysia also aims to promote high-end tourism like spas, eco tourism, golf, exotic destinations as well as event related tourism such as the Formula One, Moto GP, and International Shoe Festivals.

Amran said there is also a huge demand for "single women" outbound travellers, which Tourism Malaysia would tap on, by coming up with customised travel packages. "Besides spa, entertainment and shopping, we are also promoting diving activities for them in places like Tioman and Redang.

"Indian holidaymakers will continue to spend this year despite the global economic strain. Hence, we will be promoting various attractive destinations in Malaysia through various media and other activities, including campaigns on television, newspapers, magazines and the social media," he added.

Amran said Tourism Malaysia also does joint promotions with local tour operators, airlines, other tourism boards and select brands, to entice the tourism traffic from India. – Bernama

Copyright @ BERNAMA

Tourism ministry closely monitoring situation in Lahad Datu.

Date: 7 March 2013

Tourism ministry closely monitoring situation in Lahad Datu.

THE tourism ministry and Tourism Malaysia are closely monitoring the situation in Lahad Datu and Semporna, Sabah and getting updates at 12-hour intervals from the Sabah Tourism Board.

Despite the intrusion into Sabah by terrorists last week, the minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, has reiterated that the state was still safe for tourism.

In fact, the intrusion had little impact on tourism in the country, shecsaid, adding that tourists should however, take precaution when travelling to Lahad Datu and Semporna.

"Not all places in Sabah are unsafe. Tourists can visit the captial city of Kota Kinabalu or scale Mount Kinabalu or head to Gaya Island.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation. We receive daily reports from the Sabah Tourism Board to relay information to our officials," she told a press conference after the soft launch of the Malaysia International Shoe Festival 2013 here yesterday.

Meanwhile, in the Sabah Tourism Board’s website, its director, Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks has given an assurance that the tourism industry, island resorts and activities in the east coast of Sabah were operating as usual in the various dive destinations of Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking, Pom Pom, Pandanan and Lankayan. - Bernama

Copyright @ 2012 Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd.

Jetstar Asia looks to boost footprint in Malaysia.

Date: 4 March 2013

Jetstar Asia looks to boost footprint in Malaysia.

  

JETSTAR Asia, an affiliate of Australia's low-cost carrier the Jetstar group, is looking at stronger footprint in Malaysia by providing more frequencies from its hub in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Chief executive officer Barathan Pasupathi said the airline has the opportunity to increase flight frequencies into those markets that it currently operate in, as well as looking at select new markets.

For its Malaysia market, Jetstar Asia flies from Changi International Airport (Singapore) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Penang International Airport, and vice versa. It first started flying to Malaysia in 2008.  Although being a low-cost carrier, the airline does not fly to the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) as it wants to provide convenience to its passengers, especially via the express rail link (ERL) train to connect from the airport to the city.

However, Pasupathi said Jetstar Asia will move to the new LCCT, klia2, once it begins operating in June. "That is definitely something that we are looking forward to because it basically has the same conveniences as the main terminal at KLIA. As long as our customers' convenience is there and it is easy for them to connect to the city, we will definitely move to klia2," he told Business Times recently.

When asked about the possibility of adding Sabah and Sarawak as Jetstar Asia's new destinations, he said that it is something the airline is looking at very closely as the markets are interesting and "the growth there is just booming". “But our immediate target is to focus on Kuala Lumpur and Penang by boosting flight frequencies and adding more seats into this market, and connecting these routes to our network into and out of Singapore," said Pasupathi.

As of October last year, Jetstar Asia has increased its capacity to key and emerging markets across its Southeast Asian network by 70,000 extra seats for services from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phuket and Yangon.

Jetstar Asia is operating 61 weekly return services between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and, thus, providing customers with more timely connections to popular services through Singapore to Manila, Perth and Taipei. The airline currently has a daily return service between Singapore and Penang and Pasupathi said there is a potential to add more services over the next few months.

Jetstar Asia started its operations in December 2004 and currently operates more than 400 weekly flights to 24 destinations across 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region. It flies from its hub in Singapore to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand and Thailand, among others.

The airline carried about 3.4 million passengers last year and expects to carry four million passengers this year. As at December 2012, Jetstar Asia has 18 Airbus A320 aircraft and the carrier expects to have a minimum of 19 A320s by year-end. The carrier received the first of six new A320s in October last year as part of its fleet rejuvenation programme.

By Bilqis Bahari 

Copyright © 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Sabah safe for tourists: Yen Yen.

Date: 3 March 2013

Sabah safe for tourists: Yen Yen.

GEORGE TOWN, March 3 - Sabah is still safe for tourism despite the Lahad Datu incident, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said today.

The Tourism Minister told The Star Online that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation.

“We have not receive any queries from our overseas office on the matter. The Sabah Tourism Board had also issued a statement on Saturday to all industry players that the state is safe and business is as usual,” Ng was quoted as saying by the news portal.

She added that the ministry believed that tourists were aware of the country’s overall stability.

Copyright © 2013, The Malaysian Insider

Sabah tourism industry not affected by armed intrusion: Masidi.

Date: 27 February 2013

Sabah tourism industry not affected by armed intrusion: Masidi.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s tourism industry is not affected by the intrusion of Filipino gunmen in Lahad Datu, said Datuk Masidi Manjun.

The Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said this is because Kampung Tanduo where the gunmen were being holed up was over 130 kilometres from Lahad Datu town.

“Thus far it is not affecting our tourism sector,” he told reporters after officiating at his ministry monthly gathering here, yesterday.

Masidi said he had received inquiries from several people about the situation “and I told them Sabah remains safe and there is no problem with regards to security”.

He also said the incident did not affect the daily activities of the people living in and around the area.

These Filipino gunmen have been in Sabah since February 12 this year.

Copyright © 1998-2006 New Sabah Times

Borneo International Bird Race to take flight.

Date: 27 February 2013

Borneo International Bird Race to take flight.

THE inaugural Borneo International Bird Race is due to take place in May and June across Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, and has already confirmed participation from international bird enthusiasts. Organised by Sandakan Borneo Bird Club with support from the respective tourism boards, the event will be launched on May 31 at Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei.

The race will kick off on June 1 at Ulu Temburong, continue at Borneo Highlands Resort in Sarawak on June 4, Kinabalu Park in Sabah on June 6 and the Rainforest Discovery Centre Sandakan on June 8.

Participants must take part in the entire race and aim to identify the most number of species within 24 hours for each leg.

Organisers are expecting bird clubs from 10 countries to send three representatives each. Countries that have confirmed their participation so far are India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan, said Roger Rajah, manager of AsiaMemories Brunei and organiser for the Brunei chapter of the race.

According to him, bird watchers from Malaysia and Brunei are forbidden from joining the race as they would have an unfair advantage. Rajah added: “It is a good opportunity for inbound operators in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei to package tours as participants tend to come with their families.”

By S Puvaneswary, Bandar Seri Begawan 

Copyright TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd © 2013

Tourism industry not affected by stand-off.

Date: 22 February 2013

Tourism industry not affected by stand-off.

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) Sabah has not received any cancellation of visit by foreign tourists from travel agents due to the current stand-off with intruders in Lahad Datu. MATTA Sabah chairman KL Tan said the incident had not affected the tourism industry or recreation spots in Lahad Datu yet as the intrusion took place far from town.

However, he hoped that the government would resolve the issue as soon as possible as it was not a good publicity for Sabah.

He said that after a joint press conference with various business and industry-based non-profit organizations on this issue here yesterday.

Meanwhile, the people in the east coast of Sabah should not feel worried and fearful of the intrusion of an armed group of people from Sulu as the situation is under control by the security forces.

Commanding officer of the 516th regiment of the Territorial Army for east coast of Sabah, Brigadier General Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, gave the assurance after visiting Lahad Datu on February 19. Liew said he is happy to see Lahad Datu residents viewing this incident rationally and having confidence with the government and the security forces in handling the situation.

He said the people should always understand the role of the government, the police force and the military in ensuring the safety of the people and security of the country. Everyone should therefore keep their trust in the government and the security forces and not listen to rumours passed around by irresponsible parties through the various forms of communication channels.

Liew visited the operation room here to update himself of the current situation there and the status of the negotiations with the intruders. Thereafter, he visited the campsite of the security forces and presented 1,000 boxes of mineral water and three water tanks to them for their daily needs.

In the afternoon, he met with Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein at Tawau airport. It was learnt that Hishammuddin had just returned from his visit to Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu. Liew hoped the impasse could be resolved as soon as possible without any shed of blood.

Copyright 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

Kuala Penyu To Be Developed Into Tourist Destination.

Date: 18 February 2013

Kuala Penyu To Be Developed Into Tourist Destination.

KUALA PENYU - Kuala Penyu would be developed into another tourist destination for Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman Monday.

He said this beautiful coastal district was suitable for holiday and leisure activities.

"Tourism development here will surely create many job opportunities for the local residents.

"We will work at bringing local and foreign tourists here which will help stimulate economic activities in Kuala Penyu," he said at a Chinese New Year open house organised by Kuala Penyu Barisan Nasional, here.

Musa said for as long as the people gave the mandate to Barisan Nasional to rule the country, the government would always endeavour to assist them and improve their economy.

He also said that Malaysia was fortunate to have a national leader like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who was always thinking of the best approaches to take to help the people.

Copyright @ BERNAMA

Voluntourism a hit with longhaul travellers to Malaysia.

Date: 7 February 2013

Voluntourism a hit with longhaul travellers to Malaysia.

TRADITIONAL longhaul markets to Malaysia have developed an appetite for volunteer tourism, with travel consultants reporting growing interest in the niche segment.

Diethelm Travel Malaysia’s managing director, Manfred Kurz, said: “Traditionally, CSR programmes appeal only to meeting and incentive groups from European markets. But we have seen growing interest from the FIT segment over the last couple of years.” To harness rising demand, Diethelm Travel will work with established tour operators in Germany to promote more volunteer tourism programmes in Sabah and Sarawak for the FIT market this year.

Sarawak-based Masama JS Adventure Tours’ business development manager, Marco Wunsch, said: “In 2012, we saw 30 per cent year-on-year growth (in the number of participants) for our turtle conservation programme at Talang-Talang Island, with the most requests coming from FITs from the Netherlands.”  Masama works with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation for this programme. Wunsch said: “This year, we would like to develop more conservation tours in Sarawak, especially those with the rare Irrawaddy dolphins in the Santubong area.”

Alex Lee, CEO of Terengganu-based Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours, explained the difference between the regular leisure tourist and a volunteer tourist. “The FIT tourist involved in volunteer tourism spends at least 50 per cent more than the average tourist, as they even pay the locals a fee to be involved (in activities). 

“This year, we plan to develop more volunteer programmes in Terengganu, involving local culture, heritage and nature. Tourists will be able to decide on the programmes they wish to be involved in, based on their budget and length of stay.”

By S Puvaneswary, Kuala Lumpur

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Sabah set to become champion of marine tourism in Malaysia.

Date: 3 February 2013

Sabah set to become champion of marine tourism in Malaysia.

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit yesterday expressed confidence that Sabah would emerge as the champion of Marine Tourism in the country soon. He said this was evident from the increasing number of tourist arrivals in the state where, last year alone, a total of 2.88 million tourist came to visit Sabah, a marked increase of 1.1 per cent from year 2011 (2.84 million tourist).

He said last year’s state tourism calendar showed 18 cruise ships with 12,707 passengers had come to Kota Kinabalu Port. “Also, we have 131 international flights with 19,294 seats and 660 domestic flights with 85,976 seats a week having landed at Sabah airports.

“That is good for tourism sector in Sabah. Sabah must be proud to have a beautiful beach, high mountain, amazing world class islands, various ethnic groups, food and culture. These make Sabah a unique state compared to the other states in Malaysia,” he said in his speech in conjunction with 13th City Day Anniversary Celebration at Jesselton Point, near here. Also present was the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City, Datuk Abidin Madingkir.

Dawos said Kota Kinabalu, with a suitable location and geography, had good opportunity to be one of the stop-over destinations for Cruise ships in Asia. “Tourists love our numerous towns by the seaside. Of all the places I went to, Kota Kinabalu is one of the best and fantastic cities to enjoy the scenic sunset,” he said.

“With the natural silhouette of beautiful islands in the background, we are here today at Jesselton Point (one of the popular leisure spots among the locals) to witness how such a wonderful event like KK City Day Sunset Sea Parade can be done here with Kota Kinabalu’s stunning view of the beautiful South China Sea,” he said. In this respect, Dawos underlined the need for the people, particularly city dwellers, to play their part in keeping Kota Kinabalu City clean and free from rubbish. — Bernama

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

RM10,000 for info on elephant killers: MATTA.

Date: 31 January 2013

RM10,000 for info on elephant killers: MATTA.

KOTA KINABALU: A RM10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of those causing the death of 13 endangered Bornean Pygmy elephants at Yayasan Sabah Conservation area in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, Tawau.

The reward is offered by the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) Sabah which said the death of the elephants, believed to be caused by poisoning, was a great loss to the state and tourism industry as viewing them in the wild was always the highlight of nature wildlife tours.

MATTA Sabah chairman KL Tan said Bornean elephants were small in numbers and found in isolated pockets and listed as endangered animals. They were indigenous to Borneo and their generic distinctiveness made them one of the highest priority population for Asian Elephants conservation.

“If the shocking death of the Bornean elephants is confirmed to have been due to intentional poisoning, MATTA Sabah would offer a cash reward of RM10,000 for information leading to successful conviction of the culprits,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He urged those with information to contact the joint task force directed by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun and consisting of Sabah Wildlife Department, Forestry Department, Yayasan Sabah, WWF and Royal Malaysia Police.

“We urged the public to assist the task force to investigate the matter and to ensure there is no malicious intent on the innocent elephants. This cash reward is a positive indication of the travel industry involvement that we are serious in conservation and sustaining Sabah as an eco and wildlife destination,” Tan said.

“MATTA’s contribution is one of the proactive measures to express its interest to the community that we care and the need to protect the Bornean elephants and other endangered wildlife. Conservation of endangered wildlife is for the benefit of our future generation and sustaining tourism growth in Sabah,” he said.

Tan pointed out one of the key factors in Sabah’s flourishing tourism industry is its nature based tourism, which raked in an estimated RM5.178 billion in revenue with 2.8 million tourists in 2012.

The viewing of the Bornean elephants in Lower Kinabatangan, Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Danum Valley is one of the main attractions for UK, Europe, Japanese and Australian tourists to Sabah. “Tourism benefits the whole community due to its spin-off effects and so the community will all lose out if we are not united to conserve our wildlife heritage in Sabah”.

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

Longhaul markets develop fancy for Sabah and Sarawak.

Date: 30 January 2013

Longhaul markets develop fancy for Sabah and Sarawak.

LONGHAUL travel consultants at the recently concluded ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Vientiane have seen growing interest in Sabah and Sarawak, with competitive airfares and hotel rates pushing up demand.

Norway-based Asia Spesialisten’s director of sales and marketing, Oddvar Sivertsen, said: “Low-cost carriers have opened air access to the more remote parts of Sabah and Sarawak, and this too is causing demand for tailor-made, off-the-beaten-track tours.”

Cheaper airfares and hotel rates had driven demand for FIT travel, especially among the 30-50 year-old group, he observed. Tours to these states typically combine a beach experience, a soft adventure component and cultural tours that incorporate educational elements and novel experiences.

Air France’s new thrice-weekly direct flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport beginning April 22 has also interested at least one DMC from France. Abako general manager, Jose Henrique Goncalves, said: “We’re in the middle of preparing a concept paper on Borneo as an incentive destination and once ready, we will promote it to our clients in the automobile, construction, health and finance sectors.

“With direct flights, we don’t have to stop in Singapore for a night, which is expensive. Malaysia’s hotel rates are competitive and one can negotiate with them. The French have a good image of Malaysia as a destination that is modern yet retains an old-world charm.”

Germany-based Kornelius Reisen’s owner, Johannes Harle, said Sabah and Sarawak also appealed to niche travellers keen on nature, culture and adventure.

By S Puvaneswary, Vientiane

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd 2013

Singapore is favourite destination of Malaysians.

Date: 29 January 2013

Singapore is favourite destination of Malaysians.

MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE - Malaysian travellers prefer destinations that don't require a long-haul flight. Singapore's high exchange rate and rigid rules may cause us to pause, but apparently, it has done little to stop us zooming over the causeway in droves.

Based on internal data gathered from January to November 2012, Tripadvisor, one of the world's largest travel sites, has revealed the local and international destinations that Malaysian travellers looked up the most as the destinations for their next holiday, and The Lion City topped the list.

Eight other Asian destinations also made it to the list, showing Malaysian travellers to prefer flights within the six-hour duration. The second and third most viewed international destination belongs to Bangkok and Hong Kong respectively.

Thailand took the most spots with Bangkok, Krabi Town (#4) and Patong (#10). Only London (#9) made the cut for long-haul destinations.

Meanwhile, on the home front, Kuala Lumpur - city with the highest concentration of shopping malls and recreation facilities - has ranked tops within Malaysia.

This should come as no surprise, given that a majority of Malaysians travel domestically to visit friends and relatives, followed by shopping, vacation and entertainment and recreation, according to the Domestic Tourism Survey 2011 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

The other most-searched local destinations are, in a descending order, Malacca, Genting Highlands, Kota Kinabalu and Georgetown.

By Louisa Lim, The Star/Asia News Network

Copyright @ 2013 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.

Night Safari programme in Kota Kinabalu.

Date: 23 December 2012

Night Safari programme in Kota Kinabalu.

Kota Kinabalu: A new programme called Night Safari, designed to educate on the traditional livelihood of natives and the State's history by experience, is in the making by the State Museum.

In spite of its activities still on the drawing board, a total of four Night Safaris have been held which, according to its Director Joanna Kitingan, were made available for group participation like families and students. She said future programmes would also include bead and handicraft-making sessions.

"The idea to introduce this programme came after I took part in the 'Night at The Museum' activity organised by Melaka Museum in March this year. I and a group of others spent the night in a Portuguese galleon ship, a replica of the Flora Del La Mar, the ship which sank off the Melaka Straits, and is now Maritime Museum," she said, after a Night Safari programme was held on Saturday night.

So far, the Night Safari programme consists of a quiz, whereby participants need to answer questions from gathered information, which is on display inside the Museum Gallery. They have to do it in the dark as the lights will be turned off and torchlight will be the only light source, she said. After the quiz session, the group would be taken for a hike into the Heritage Village Phase II, which is inside the Museum's extended property, located in the former Kota Kinabalu Old Folks Home land.

Bamboo huts have been erected ever since, to allow visitors and Night Safari participants to stay for the night in the area. "During the hike, participants will be made to listen to a recorded natural ambience, as if they were in a jungle. It is a blast from the past experience, a time when electricity is still foreign," she said, adding that it is a back-to-basic affair.

Finally, participants would be entertained with traditional performances while supper is served before turning in for the night in the village.

Meanwhile, a total of 17 participants from Australia's Koonung Secondary School took part in the Night Safari programme, after they had completed their volunteer project to build a tower in the Heritage Village II. They were the second group to be in the Museum, after the first group had completed their programme, building a small bridge weeks ago. On another note, interested groups could contact the Museum, to partake in the programme, Joanna said.

Copyright @ 2012 Sabah Publishing House Sdn. Bhd.

Sabah forests pulling in tourists.

Date: 19 December 2012

Sabah forests pulling in tourists.

NATURE QUALITIES: State's seriousness in protecting forests generates interest among tourists.

WITH its timber revenue declining as it focuses on reversing the trend of deforestation, Sabah is turning to the tourism sector to displace forestry as one of the main contributors to the  economy. The state recognises that protecting the forest is crucial and runs parallel with efforts to promote tourism, considering that discerning tourists will prefer places where environmental conservation is given priority.

It was reported that the state government expected annual revenue from timber production to be less than RM100 million a year over the next 20 years with timber production from natural forests expected to decline during that period. Between 1970 and 2000, the state depended heavily on timber revenue to support development, which resulted in the reduction of the productive capacity of forests.

Such dependence, coupled with past logging practices that were not environmentally-friendly and compounded by forest fires, resulted in the degradation of Sabah's forests and prompted the state government to enforce strict management of the forests using proper methods, including practices certified by international organisations.

All these efforts have helped placed Sabah in the global map with international non-governmental organisations acknowledging the state's seriousness in protecting its forests and conserve the environment.

This, in turn, has generated interests among foreign visitors, as evident from the increasing number of tourist arrivals. This year, Sabah has set a target of 2.93 million visitors with an estimated receipt of RM5.2 billion. The total arrival of visitors to Sabah for the first half of this year was 1,372,525, an increase of 1.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

With this growth, Sabah should meet its target of tourist arrivals for this year. For next year, Sabah is targeting the arrival of 3.1 million visitors with an estimated receipt of RM5.5 billion. To achieve this, the government is stepping up efforts to encourage airline companies to operate more international flights to Sabah, be they direct, scheduled chartered or chartered flights.

The state government's commitment is paying off with four new direct flights to Sabah from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Osaka and Perth commencing operations this month. With the introduction of the new flights, Sabah now boasts of being directly connected with 13 international cities, including Shenzen, Manila, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Bandar Seri Begawan and Tarakan.

These cities are serviced by 11 airlines, among them Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Royal Brunei Airlines, Dragon Air, Silk Air, Cebu Pacific, Aseana, Korean Air, Tiger Air and MASwings. The flights from the 13 cities offer more than 18,000 seats weekly. The increasing number of flights operating to and from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport have made and positioned the airport as the busiest after the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

It is heartening that the success boils down to the fact that the tourism industry in Sabah follows the direction of "Responsible Conservation Tourism", a concept that allows tourists to re-discover and experience nature and wildlife. Known as "the land below the wind", Sabah has unique nature-tourism qualities as the state is rich in biodiversity, contributing to Malaysia being one of the 12 mega-biodiversity hot spots in the world.

As a rapidly developing state, Sabah is aware and concerned about environmental protection and ensures that these aspects are taken into consideration and integrated in development planning and exploitation of natural resources in line with sustainable development principles. Kudos to the state government led by chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman for going all out to protect Sabah's forests and natural environment because it is not only an asset to the tourism industry, it also supports agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

By Joniston Bangkuai jon@nst.com.my

(Writer is a NST Sabah bureau chief)

Copyright © 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad