First-ever tourism hospitality, technology confab in Nov.

20th March, 2013

First-ever tourism hospitality, technology confab in Nov.

KUCHING: The first-ever conference on travel technology and hospitality automation will be held here in November this year.

Initiated and organised by UCSI Communications Sdn Bhd (UCSI Communications), the Asia Pacific Tourism Hospitality and Technology Conference (Apthat) 2013, will be held on Nov 21 and 22 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

Among the objectives of the conference are to prepare the travel and tourism industrialists to be resilient in the competitive market that is technology driven as well as to introduce them to the latest gadgets. The conference also aims at identifying opportunities that are propelled by innovations.

“This is a home-grown made in Sarawak Malaysian conference. In this conference, we are going more into innovation and technology. We feel that these two topics are very important in today’s travel trends because technology has evolved to be part of the tourism and hospitality industry,” said UCSI Communications managing director Gracie Geikie at a press conference yesterday.

The conference will include workshops, master classes, buyer-seller sessions, hotel inspections and exhibitions. Six papers will be presented. “It will be a different style of conference as there will be a lot of fun. The conference will touch on several areas especially on Professional Conference Organiser (PCO). We also have a section on association matters where we feel that there is a need to educate the audience about association and be part of an association.

“We have exhibitor booths and a very small version of buyer-seller session where delegates can meet with the members of the industries. As for master classes, we will be covering the Blue Ocean Strategy and the role of PCO,” she explained.

Gracie said the director-general of Tourism Malaysia Dato Mirza Mohammad Tayed had consented to deliver the keynote address while a letter of invitation had been sent out to the Tourism Minister who will be the guest-of-honour. Among the confirmed speakers are Prof Dr Ross Dowling and Selina Power from Australia, Dr Madahmohan Roa, E M Najeeb, both from India and Rohizam Md Yusoff from Malaysia.

Apart from gathering the industry experts and players from within the Asia Pacific region, UCSI Communications also hopes the event could further enhance the state’s effort in making Sarawak a MICE (meeting, incentive, conference and exhibitions) destination.

UCSI Communications is hoping to attract some 300 participants. Early bird special discount for the delegate fee is ongoing until April 30 and the price per delegate from May 1 onwards will be RM1,380 (US$460). Corporate discount is also available whereby corporate delegates will just have to pay the price of five delegates for six delegates. The delegate fee is inclusive of two days of conference, two pre-selected workshops and two buyer- seller sessions (first come, first served basis), four tea breaks, two luncheons, two pre-dinner networking cocktail receptions and a closing dinner party.

Registered delegates who intend to attend the master class will have to pay RM180 per person and each class is limited to 80 people, on a first come, first served basis.

There will also be exhibition booths available for tours, travel related, travel accessories, hoteliers at RM1,700 (US$590) per booth for two full days. The booth includes 3m x 3m shell scheme, a table, two chairs, a dustbin, a socket/plug point and fascia. Each booth is entitled to a conference delegate pass with full entitlement.

Online registration is possible at www.ticketxpress.com.my or call the booking hotline at +6(0)1112677388 or +6(0)82577911. For further information, visit www.apthat.com or www.ucsicommunications.com. Hilton Kuching is the official hotel while Planet Borneo Tours & Travel Services Sdn Bhd is the official tour operator of the conference.

By: Jonathan Chia reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright@2010-2013 BorneoPost Online        

Kuching To Host Routes Asia Conference Next Year.

18th March, 2013

Kuching To Host Routes Asia Conference Next Year.

KUCHING - Kuching will be hosting the Routes Asia 2014 conference and exhibition, a premier annual event for the meeting of airlines and airports operators throughout Asia.

Sarawak Tourism Minister, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, said today the city was chosen as the venue for the event ahead of three other well-established cities, namely Osaka in Japan, Brisbane (Australia) and Hong Kong.

"Next year, all the CEOs (chief executive officers) of airlines and airports will come here to see what we can offer and we hope that they will bring their planes or flights over to Kuching. We want Kuching to become the international destinations," he said.

He made the remarks when speaking to officiate the handing over ceremony of a Quality Environment Practices (QE5S) Recognition Certificate to Dormani Hotel here.

He attributed Sarawak's success in winning the bid to become the host of the event to the strong collaboration with the Federal government and Malaysia Airports Berhad.

Copyright@BERNAMA

Sarawak Promotes Eco Tourism Through Overseas Academic Collaboration.

13th March, 2013

Sarawak Promotes Eco Tourism Through Overseas Academic Collaboration.

KUCHING - The second annual Southeast Asian Studies Symposium being held in London last week was one of the opportunities to promote Sarawak as an eco tourism destination through academic collaboration in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe.

Sarawak Housing and Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg took the opportunity to promote and market Sarawak as an eco-tourism destination at the event, which was held on March 9 at the historical Balliol College, Oxford University in London.

The state Tourism Ministry had hosted a dinner for the 210 symposium participants, comprising academicians, researchers and scientists from United Kingdom, Europe and Southeast Asian countries, where guests were also entertained to a 30-minute Sarawak Cultural extravaganza by dancers from the Sarawak Cultural Village.

"The minister was given the honour and privilege to address the audience," said the ministry in a statement released here today.

It said a special paper on "Edible Bird Nest" in Borneo was also shared by Datuk Seri Lord Cranbrook, who had done extensive research in Sarawak on its rich biodiversity and ecosystem as well as written a few books and articles on Sarawak and Borneo.

Copyright@BERNAMA

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

Sarawak eyeing six million tourists during VMY 2014.

9th March, 2013

Sarawak eyeing six million tourists during VMY 2014.

KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism is targeting six million tourist arrivals to Sarawak during Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2014. Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said yesterday that VMY 2014 promotions and campaigns would be rolled out after the impending 13th general election.

Tourist arrivals in Sarawak surpassed the four million mark last year. “The state and federal governments will pick up momentum along the way by developing more unique and authentic tourism products to cater for foreign tourists,” he said at a `VMY 2014 Briefing and Dialogue with State Tourism Industry Players’ here. We will implement effective strategies to entice tourists to stay in the country longer.”

To ensure the success of VMY 2014, Dawos hoped that all stakeholders, including members of the public and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would give a helping hand. “Contribute innovative and creative ideas so that we can achieve our objectives. We need everyone to be committed and take their roles seriously. We must not forget there’s competition from other Asean countries.”

Dawos said Malaysia was currently ranked number nine on the World Tourism Organisation’s list of most visited countries by international tourist arrivals. He thus urged all players to work closely together and share their resources to help push the tourism industry higher.

Using the recent `Chap Goh Mei’ cultural parade at Siniawan, Bau, as an example, Dawos said the crew of China’s broadcasting station (CCTV) was shooting a video there and this was the kind of thing which would benefit the country. “We are also targeting China as a potential market.”

The Visit Malaysia Year programme had been hosted for three times thus far. The first was in 1990 themed ‘Fascinating Malaysia, Year of Festivals’ which recorded 7.4 million arrivals and yielded RM4.5 billion in receipts. The second was in 1994 themed ‘Fascinating Malaysia, Naturally More’ which recording 7.2 million arrivals and receipts climbed to RM8.3 billion. The third was in 2007 to commemorate 50 years of nationhood. Tourist arrivals soared to 20.9 million and receipts totalled RM46.1 billion.

Dawos said the growth in tourist arrivals was in line with the target of the Malaysian Tourism Plan 2020 to achieve 36 million tourist arrivals and a tourism revenue of RM168 billion by year 2020. Last year, a total of 25,032,708 foreign tourists visited Malaysia, surpassing the figure of 24,714,324 arrivals in 2011. The total arrivals yielded RM60.6 billion on revenue in 2012, compared to RM58.3 billion in 2011.

The national target for this year is 26 million tourists.

Also present at the event were Ministry of Tourism Malaysia secretary-general Dato Dr Ong Hong Peng and the ministry’s deputy director-general (Marketing) Chong Yoke Har.

By: Karen Bong, reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online.

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

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

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

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

Response growing to BIMP-EAGA flights.

Date: 5 February 2013

Response growing to BIMP-EAGA flights.

BALIKPAPAN: MASwings began its service to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan on Feb. 1 - its fourth BIMP-EAGA destination after Bandar Seri Begawan, Pontianak and Tarakan. "Today we created history on Borneo. Exactly on Feb 1, 2012 MASwings expanded into a bigger regional area of BIMP-EAGA with the first flight from KK and Kuching to BSB.

"With this fourth route, MASwings is ready to welcome Visit Malaysia Year 2014 which was announced by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen last month," said MASwings Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Capt. Mohd Nawawi Ahmad.

"Being the only national carrier that fully supports the BIMP-EAGA goals to increase transportation within the region, MASwings is proud to collaborate with local tourism bodies and agencies to further promote tourism in Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak in particular" added Nawawi at a press conference in Balikpapan.

He said MASwings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, embarked on this expansion solely to meet the objectives of BIMP-EAGA.  "There are 16 million people in this sub region and eight million people in the nine main cities. Our flight to Balikpapan is the fourth destination of that nine cities that we are targetting."

Nawawi said for the past year that they have been operating in BIMP-EAGA, the passenger load has been very encouraging. "Initially some destinations were slow to pick up but later especially Pontianak and Tarakan has been very overwhelming. When we started operations into Tarakan, initially we operated three times a week but after two months we increased to daily flights.

From Tawau to Tarakan and from Kuching to Pontianak the load factor has been good. "For the past one year, MASwings had an average of 50pc load factor serving Bandar Seri Begawan, Pontianak and Tarakan. "With the additional flights flying into Balikpapan, we are looking at increasing the load factor to an average of 70pc with 3,968 seats being offered on a weekly basis.

"We thank the people of Kalimantan for responding to our flights into Tarakan and Pontianak." With Indonesia and Malaysia being neighbours, Nawawi hoped this "air bridge" connectivity they can create even closer relations between the people of both countries.

"Today is a new chapter for MASwings. But we are not stopping here. We are also looking at expanding into the other parts of Kalimantan i.e. Banjarmasin and into towns and cities in the Makassar area such as Ujung Pandang and Manado as part of phase two of MASwings expansion into BIMP-EAGA.

"Today we are here but probably by end of March or early April latest, we hope to launch our first operation into the Philippines, Palawan island and the beautiful city of Puerto Princesa. So probably people from here, by end of March, can come to Kota Kinabalu and onwards into the Philippines,' he said.

The first scheduled MASwings flight departed Kota Kinabalu International Airport carrying a group of invited guests and members of the media. The troupe arrived in Sepinggan International Airport, Balikpapan. The second scheduled flight flew from Kuching and arrived in Balikpapan similarly with a group of invited guests including Assistant Minister of Tourism Sarawak Datuk Talip Zulpilip, as well as members of media from Kuching.

In conjunction with its inaugural flights into Balikpapan, MASwings is offering a special introductory fare of USD58 for a one way trip or USD78 for a return trip (all in fare) from Balikpapan to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching.

"I urge the public to start browsing our website to get the best fares and secure your booking before Feb. 14," said Nawawi.

Also present at the launching was East Kalimantan Governor Dr Awang Faroek Ishak, Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Tengku Zainal Adlin, Sarawak Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Sarawak Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Datuk Rashid Khan and Bimp-Eaga Business Council's Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed.

Copyright @ 2013 Sabah Publishing House Sdn. Bhd.

Batavia Air grounded for good.

Date: 5 February 2013

Batavia Air grounded for good.

KUCHING: It is a sign of closure — literally. Displayed at Batavia Air’s office, where the neon lights have been turned off, at Kuching International Airport (KIA) here is a sign that reads: “Closed”. Next to the sign, printed on an A4-sized paper, were instructions for ticket refunds. The address and telephone number listed were based in Jakarta.

Inside Batavia Air’s office here yesterday were about half a dozen staff. Despite the closed sign, the door was unlocked. The staff were friendly but they declined to be interviewed. “We’ve not been told anything. We can’t speak. We’re so sorry. There’s a notice outside,” said one manager.

Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audry Wan Ullok told The Star it was with “great regret” that the industry accepted the news. “I was in Indonesia on a visit with Sarawak tourism officials when the news came,” Audry said on Sunday at KIA. I don’t know what to say really. It’s just sad because now we have one less airline that flies into Sarawak.”

Batavia Air was an important link for the development of medical tourism for Sarawak, the federation chief said. “Batavia Air gave us an edge over Sabah in terms of getting sick people to come to our hospitals in Kuching. Batavia Air could better accommodate sick people, including those on stretchers.”

MASwings, which flies daily to Pontianak, does not accommodate stretchers. (A MASwings official told The Star that the service was temporarily not available because the installation of stretchers would take two hours onboard its aircraft.)

“They closed because they were running at a loss,” said Samuel Chung, managing director of Straits Central Travel and Tour Agencies, which was the exclusive agent for Batavia Air in Sarawak for almost a decade. “At its peak, Batavia’s Kuching-Pontianak flight was about 50% to 60% full. But then MASwings began the same route in April last year and Batavia’s load for that route dropped to between 20% and 40%.”

Chung said Batavia Air also suffered from increased competition from Pontianak- based operators. “Right now, there are five airlines flying Pontianak-Jakarta. Batavia just could not keep up. There’s a lot of options, including those between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.”

Chung said it was unclear if all Batavia Air ticket holders would get their refunds. “As a travel agent, I had a deposit of about RM3,000 with Batavia too. I’m also not sure if I can get it back.”

With Batavia Air gone from KIA, just five other airlines utilise the state capital’s airport namely, Malaysia Airlines (MAS), MASwings, AirAsia, Silk Air and Tiger Air. Jetstar pulled out of KIA around the time when Tiger Air launched its Kuching-Singapore route while Firefly ceased operations to Sarawak and Sabah about a year ago. Batavia Air used to fly three weekly flights from here to Pontianak and onwards to Jakarta.

In the middle of last week, Indonesia’s commercial court declared budget carrier Batavia Air bankrupt just months after AirAsia aborted a deal to invest in it, reported the Associated Press. The Jakarta Commercial Court declared the company bankrupt after Batavia Air failed to pay a US$4.7mil debt. Flights stopped just after midnight last Thursday, the Associated Press said.

The airline began in 2002, and at its peak, flew to 48 destinations. Six destinations were international routes, including its stop at KIA. The airline also flew to Singapore and destinations in China, including Guangzhou. According to the Jakarta Globe, passengers who purchased tickets with Batavia Air before the budget carrier declared bankruptcy and shut down last week, would still be able to use them after three airlines agreed to take over 20 of Batavia’s 42 routes.

The Indonesian newspaper said Citilink, a low-cost airline of national carrier Garuda Indonesia, was set to take over 14 routes. Mandala Airlines and Express Air would take over another six routes. Although it is unclear at the moment, it seems routes to Pontianak would be undertaken by Express Air.

By YU JI  yuji@thestar.com.my

Copyright @ 1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

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

Over RM37 million for tourism development in Sarawak.

Date: 27 January 2013

Over RM37 million for tourism development in Sarawak.

KUCHING: Sarawak gets over RM37 million for the development of tourism under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP). Of the total allocation, nearly RM10 million is meant for ad hoc tourism projects between 2011 and 2015, said Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos.

“Under the 10MP, RM9.6 million worth of ad hoc projects have been implemented. There are 21 projects throughout the state. Tourism is, in fact, the second largest industry in Malaysia after the services industry which contributed 58.7 per cent to the GDP,” he told the press at Panchor Hot Spring in Kampung Panchor, over 40km from here yesterday.

The 21 projects included upgrading works at Wind Caves in Bau, Malaysia-China Friendship Park here, Panchor Hot Spring, Limbang Waterfront, Miri City Fan (1Malaysia Garden) and public parks in Miri.

Dawos, who is also Mambong MP, added that more than RM5 million of the government grants had gone to developing homestay programmes statewide. “Some 20 homestays are involved and when I say 20 homestays, it does not mean there are only 20 participants. If say, each homestay is to have 10 participants, there are about 200 participants to benefit from the allocation.”

Pointing out that the Tourism Ministry emphasised community-based projects, he believed there should be more tourism products in Sarawak to come forth. He said Panchor Hot Spring is not the sole community-based project in the state as Kampung Annah Rais also has a hot spring, which is well known among locals and visitors. “There are six to seven community-based projects throughout Sarawak. They are the efforts of locals, developed by Tourism Ministry in line with the government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).” When asked to name other community-based projects, Dawos said similar efforts happened in Ba Kelalan and Bario.

“Speaking of tourism in Malaysia, hospitality is the word. Malaysians are well known for their smiles, and it is one of the characteristics of the country.”

Copyright 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

Sarawak to fly the ATF flag next year.

Date: 21 January 2013

Sarawak to fly the ATF flag next year.

SARAWAK will get the chance to showcase its ecotourism offerings next year when the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) heads there for the first time.  Bearing the theme ASEAN Advancing Tourism Together, ATF 2014 will be held in Kuching, capital of the eastern Malaysian state, from January 16-23.

The ASEAN Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, where some 1,000 regional sellers and 600 international buyers will congregate. Tourism ministers and heads of national tourism organisations will put their heads together at the five-star Pullman Kuching.

Malaysia’s minister of tourism, Ng Yen Yen, said: “Hosting ATF 2014 is timely, as it will be the first international tourism event of the year in Malaysia, and will help usher in Visit Malaysia Year.”

Ng added that Sarawak, home to the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, would make an “apt venue” for ATF 2014. “Delegates can discuss pertinent issues on sustainable development and more in a remote destination, surrounded by nature, which will provide for greater concentration.

“We chose to host ATF in Sarawak as we would like to give the destination greater exposure. It has great ecotourism products and good infrastructure for MICE. By organising ATF there, we hope to showcase the destination’s natural beauty, infrastructure for business events and diverse tourism products to those looking for adventure, heritage and culture.”

The minister said excursions and post-show tours to East and Peninsular Malaysia would provide an opportunity for ATF delegates to witness the developments in the country since 2005, when Malaysia last hosted the rotating annual event in Langkawi. “We wish to present Sarawak as a model case study to be emulated by overseas tour operators and planners on how a secondary destination can build on its strengths – blending culture and the environment – to become successful in tourism,” Ng said.

By S Puvaneswary, reporting from ASEAN Tourism Forum 2013, Vientiane

Copyright TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd © 2013

New Zealanders urged to visit Malaysia.

Date: 15 January 2013

New Zealanders urged to visit Malaysia.

New Zealanders are being urged to visit Malaysia in greater numbers and for longer stays after Kiwi tourists visiting that country fell by about 19 per cent in 2012 from 2011. Part of the reason for the fall in Kiwi visitors was that Christchurch International Airport lost the valuable AirAsia X service from Kuala Lumpur. The service came to a halt at the end of May 2012 after running for about a year.

Over the weekend and yesterday Malaysian tourism officials and a visiting dance troupe from Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, were in Christchurch talking up the visitor experience for Kiwis. Mohammad Hafiz Hashim, a director of Tourism Malaysia's New Zealand office, said the troupe had performed at both the Re:Start mall on Sunday and also at the airport yesterday.

Tourism Malaysia was also due to host about 60 South Island travel agents at a meeting at the airport as part of its efforts to increase visitation and the length of stay by New Zealanders.

Sarawak as a destination included opportunities for trekking, and seeing and experiencing orangutan conservation projects, beaches and large cave systems.

In 2011 about 80,000 Kiwis visited Malaysia, helped by the AirAsia X flights, but last year numbers were down nearly 20 per cent for the year. Each visitor stayed an average of 9.5 days. "[So] it's our main objective. We want to increase the numbers of Kiwis or New Zealanders coming across . . . In particular we want to increase the number of nights. We want them to stay longer and spend more to contribute to our economy," Hashim said. The 20 strong group was also promoting Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The Christchurch International Airport aeronautical development general manager Matthew Findlay said a daily service provided by Singapore Airlines to Singapore meant Kiwis could easily fly on to a Malaysian destination. "Tourism Malaysia are keen obviously to tap the South Island. We're working with Singapore Airlines to encourage more people to think about travelling to Malaysia."

By ALAN WOOD

Copyright @ 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Limited

Sarawak to bank on culture, eco-tourism.

Date: 31 December 2012

Sarawak to bank on culture, eco-tourism.

KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism will continue to highlight Sarawak’s unique culture and eco-tourism products during Visit Sarawak Year which will stretch from July 2013 till June 2014. The Ministry will also be setting into motion several initiatives together with other major stakeholders to woo more quality tourists.

Among these initiatives are selling handicrafts at shopping centres in Kuching, said its minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg. “Kuching now boasts several new shopping centres for tourists. This is to provide tourists a place to do their shopping. Handicrafts will also be made available at these shopping malls,” he said during a farewell dinner for outgoing Tourism Malaysia (Sarawak) director Johanif Ali on Saturday.

Touching on attractions in Kuching, he said among the infrastructure highlights would be the proposed pedestrian bridge across Sungai Sarawak which is expected to be completed by 2014. “This will complete and complement the heritage trial within Kuching city centre.”

He added that several fringe events would also be held to complement the annual Rainforest World Music Festival in Santubong.

On improvements to national parks, Abang Johari said that information centres or kiosks would be built in national parks complete with technological gadgets to disseminate information.

On Johanif, Abang Johari hoped that he would continue to promote Sarawak in his new posting in New York. “On behalf of the state government, I would like to give my thanks to Johanif for his contributions to Sarawak in the past four years.”

Johanif, in his speech, said the relationship between Tourism Malaysia and the state government had been very instrumental. “I hope this relationship will continue and further strengthen,” said Johanif, who will be succeeded by Salehuddin Ariffin, who is currently Malaysia Tourism New York office director.

By Jeremy Veno, reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright 2010-2012 BorneoPost Online

Businesses, cooperatives asked to explore health tourism.

Date: 28 December 2012

Businesses, cooperatives asked to explore health tourism.

KUCHING: Cooperatives and businesses have been asked to explore the possibilities of investing in health tourism, which is gaining popularity among visitors to the state. Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said there are many opportunities to explore as Kuching and Sibu already have specialist centres.

“Four major specialist centres have been known to serve this segment, and they mostly come from a neighbouring country, which is Indonesia,” said Abang Johari, who named the Rejang Medical Centre, Timberland Medical Centre, Kuching Specialist Hospital and Normah Medical Specialist Centre.

“This ever-expanding segment should be seen as an opportunity and we hope that those who specialise in this line will look into setting up more specialist centres here.”

He pointed out that a significant number of the four million tourists entering the state this year underwent medical treatment. “Choices such as Singapore for medical treatment have escalated but now we have specialists from there flying over here and this is why we have increasing numbers,” he explained when opening the Koperasi Koppes Sarawak Berhad (Koppes) Haemodialysis Centre yesterday.

He praised Koppes for expanding its business, which also includes construction and plantations. “The state government realises the need to build at least 20,000 units of houses to accommodate the needs for the next five years and the number cannot be achieved without assistance from the private sector,” he said. “Koppes has also shown its capabilities to diversify its income with the venture towards the rubber and oil palm nursery business. This will definitely provide industries with the basic needs and I am sure Koppes will succeed in this line,” he said, adding that cooperatives should also consider venturing into the furniture industry.

Meanwhile, Koppes chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said in his speech that the haemodialysis centre has five treatment machines. He said the centre’s strategic location should give it an advantage among diabetics requiring dialysis.

Copyright 2010-2012 BorneoPost Online

STF chief: More than one way to promote tourism in state.

Date: 18 December 2012

STF chief: More than one way to promote tourism in state.

KUCHING: Tourism operators in the state are serious about marketing Sarawak but are not confining the channels to international trade shows. Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audrey Wan Ullok said Sarawak-based travel agents are selective on which events to attend at international exhibitions and trade shows.

“They will attend trade shows relevant to the market they are targeting. Each travel agent has his own niche market and client base. Tourism players in Sarawak learnt from experience that many government-organised overseas marketing trips give poor returns, so they use a multitude of other marketing channels,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday.

She was responding to Tourism Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit’s recent comments to the media that he was disappointed with the reluctance of Sarawak travel agents and tourism players to market the state at international travel conventions.

“I am surprised by these remarks and the deputy minister’s understanding of the reality and market dynamics of Sarawak’s tourism industry. International travel exhibitions are not the only means of marketing Sarawak. For some local travel companies, Internet marketing through online booking website may offer better returns than attending trade shows. Moreover, many Sarawak operators do not market directly to overseas agents. Instead, they work closely with other major establishments or agents from West Malaysia who are part of the global tourism distribution network,” she explained.

Dawos had commented that lack of seriousness in promoting Sarawak resulted in foreign tourists flocking to West Malaysia and Sabah instead. Audrey said this was a simplistic statement showing poor understanding of Sarawak’s tourism industry and its challenges.

“Sarawak is losing its share of the tourism market to Sabah as Sabah invests heavily in its protected area network and wildlife management, and has better air connectivity. In contrast, Sarawak’s national parks lack facilities while air access to the state remains problematic,” she said. Audrey noted the need for a dialogue with the ministry to let it know what the private sector is going through.

“We support what the government is doing, but we have our challenges. STF and its members are more than happy to discuss issues with the deputy minister and brief him on Sarawak’s tourism industry and the challenges we face. We believe the best way forward is for the private sector and government agencies to work together,” she said.

By Antonia Chiam, reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright 2010-2012 BorneoPost Online

Local fruit festivals can be tourist attraction — Dawos.

Date:  17 December 2012

Local fruit festivals can be tourist attraction — Dawos.

KUCHING: Local fruit festivals should be held more frequently in Sarawak as they have the potential to be a tourist attraction, said Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit yesterday.

He reasoned that tourists would be drawn to the state to participate in the festivals as tropical fruits, particularly durian, were getting popular in many countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the European continent.

“The ‘Pesta Buah-buahan’ (fruits festival) @ Kota Padawan’ is being held for the first time here. Actually, such festival is very common in the peninsula. I see the need to have a similar festival in Sarawak I want to promote local fruits to tourists so that they would come during the fruit season. For instance, the festival held today (yesterday) will benefit not only the Mambong parliamentary constituency but the whole of Kuching,” he told reporters when met at the event held at the parking lot of Kota Padawan near here.

He added that such festivals would allow foreign tourists to have a real taste of Malaysian fruits since most of the tropical fruits sold in some foreign countries were mainly imported from Thailand. Taking durian as an example, Dawos said Malaysian durians had different and unique tastes compared to those from Thailand’s which were sweet.

The ‘Pesta Buah-buahan’ (fruits festival) @ Kota Padawan’ was jointly organised by Padawan Municipal Council and Mambong BN Youth Wing. It attracted hundreds of local folks. About 500 kg of local fruits such as durian, rambutan, mangosteen and langsat were snapped up within an hour.

By Lee Ya Yun, reporters@theborneopost.com

Copyright @ 2010-2012 BorneoPost Online

Theme park can woo more Arab tourists to Sarawak.

Date: 16 December 2012

Theme park can woo more Arab tourists to Sarawak.

KUCHING: Sarawak should consider developing a theme park as one of the strategies to attract more big spending tourists from Arab countries to come to the state, Deputy Tourism Minister, Datuk James Dawos Mamit said here, today.

Although it already has good museums as well as several Islamic cultural and structural attractions, he said Sarawak would have to develop more tourism products that cater for the Arabs, who spend an average of RM7,000 per person when touring Malaysia, the highest spenders among foreign tourists to the country.

Speaking to reporters after officiating the Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Tourism Dance Carnival here, he said while the state enjoyed an increase in the number of tourists with 3.2 million recorded between January and October this year, the number of those from Arab countries was small.

He said Melaka, Johor, Penang and Langkawi were among the destinations most preferred by the Arab tourists, who totalled more than 400,000 last year. 

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