Timely boost for east coast
TAWAU: The tourism industry in Sabah’s east coast has received a major boost from AirAsia’s latest route linking Kuching and Tawau, which started operation on December 2.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew, when welcoming Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and a Sarawak delegation to Tawau, said the launch of the new route came at the right time, in line with the local government’s aspiration to promote East Coast tourism with special emphasis on Tawau and the neighbouring districts as new tourism hubs.
She said that apart from this, the new route would also benefit both Tawau and Kuching under the Borneo brand and would further enhance the relationship between the two Malaysian states on Borneo island.
Christina said that as a people representative for Tawau, she hoped the four-time weekly direct flights would boost the number of tourist arrivals further and contribute greatly to the local community in terms of economy and employment opportunities.
In terms of visitor arrivals to tourism attractions in Tawau, she said Tawau Hills Park was one of the main tourist attractions most visited in Tawau.
From January to September 2018, the park received 66,717 visitors, an increase of 49.1 per cent compared to the same period last year (44,756 visitors) and she hoped the numbers would grow even higher with the introduction of the new route.
Tawau, she said was also the entry point to diving sites such as the Sipadan Island, Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking and Pom Pom, located in Semporna waters. According to the latest statistics by Sabah Parks, Sipadan received a total of 34,294 visitors for the first nine months of 2018, an increase of 4.83 percent compared to the same period last year (32,714 visitors).
“I am confident that we can work hand in hand with AirAsia to further promote Tawau from Kuching. After all, AirAsia directly connects Kuching from 13 destinations around the region and China,” she said yesterday during the official ceremony of AirAsia’s maiden flight from Kuching to Tawau connecting Sarawak’s capital to Sabah’s thirdlargest city.
Besides being the gateway to diving paradise in Semporna, she said Tawau had unique offerings such as having the world’s tallest tropical rainforest tree with a height of 99.2 meters at Tawau Hills Park as well as other attractions such as Teck Guan Cocoa Museum and Village, Tawau Hot Spring, Tanjung Market, Pasar Gantung and many more.
Christina said as there would be a foreseeable increase of tourist arrivals, the government would work to improve to cater to their needs, and work together with Sabah Tourism Board to not just promote Tawau, but Sabah as a whole.
As more visitors are coming to Tawau, she hopes the people will be more tourism minded. The government now is emphasizing on cleanliness and to reduce the usage of single-use plastic which has already started in Semporna.
Cristina said with more efforts put in to increase flights flying into Tawau, the government looked forward for Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad to upgrade the airport facilities to cater for more direct international flights.
She said next year, the ministry would be promoting the Cuti-Cuti Tawau campaign and invited AirAsia and other airlines to support in the promotion of the campaign.
The four-time weekly direct flights departed Kuching International Airport at 10.50am with Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, AirAsia director of Government Relations Zamani Rafique and other officials on board. The aircraft was greeted with a water canon salute upon landing at Tawau Airport at 12.45pm and was received by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew.
The AirAsia Kuching-Tawau inaugural flight augurs well for the ministry’s current efforts to promote East Coast tourism, particular Sandakan and Tawau. The ministry is in the process of tapping Tawau’s potential as yet another premier holiday destination for domestic and foreign tourists alike through the 30 tour packages launched earlier this year.
To celebrate the inaugural flight, AirAsia is offering celebratory fares from as low as RM49 either way from Kuching or Tawau. The promotional fare is available for booking on airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app until December 15, 2018 for immediate travel through to December 16, 2019.
AirAsia is offering free seats for Kota Kinabalu-Sibu and Kota Kinabalu-Bintulu flights. The promotion is available for booking until December 16, 2018 for travel period between January 1, 2019 an February 4, 2020.