Four mln tourists target next year within reach

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah can reach its target of at least four million tourist arrivals into the state for 2019, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.

She said the state was expected to achieve its 3.8 million target by end of 2018 and could foresee an increase of four percent of tourist arrivals next year when the Sabah Tourism Board goes further out to Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and other countries to promote the state’s tourism products and diversified cultural background.

“We always hope for the best to achieve more than four million (in arrivals),” she said during the BrandLaureate Industry Champion ICON Awards 2018 press conference at Hyatt Regency here yesterday.

“When we go up to the European market, we are not only selling Sabah’s tourism products, we are also exporting and selling our culture, our tradition, what we have to offer in Sabah. Other than the islands, mountain, rain forest and wildlife, we also have 34 ethnic cultures and many more sub-ethnic groups underneath these 34 ethnic cultures.

“Barring last-minute surprises, I am confident that we will be able to achieve this one (target). There is only a problem of a bit of travelling to promote in the Western countries. As far as China is concerned, we are quite a brand already,” added Christina, who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister.

Earlier on, she said the industry had grown over the past four years, and arrivals had steadily increased and contributed RM7.829 bullion to the Sabah economy in 2017.

She pointed out new hotel chains here indicated investors’ confidence that had led to the opening of new tourism products beyond Kota Kinabalu, more direct flights into Kota Kinabalu International Airport, including 114 weekly flights from China alone.

“We are the envy of other states in Malaysia. These are just some of the efforts done by my ministry driven by the Sabah Tourism Board. I have been mentioning about our target of 500,000 Chinese visitors for this year.

“I am pleased to announce that as of October this year, we have already achieved this target, two months ahead of the forecast time.

“Of course, we must have a balanced approach. Next year, promotion of Sabah on the international level begins as early as January when the trade officially opens in Europe.

“Although our largest contributing arrivals are from Northern Asia, we must not forget the long-haul arrivals that appreciate our main nature-based attractions, such as those in Sukau, Sepilok in Sandakan and Danum Valley in Lahad Datu.

“I do believe that this will sell very well in the European markets when we start promoting what we have on the nature-based products right in the East Coast of Sabah.

“I believe when it comes to branding, the attractions found in the East Coast have easily sealed Sabah and Borneo in the minds of European travellers,” she added.