STB, European agencies to do joint promotion drive

BERLIN: Prior to the closing of ITB Berlin 2019, more discussions were held on collaboration between Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and European travel agencies in promoting Sabah as a premier international tourist destination to European travellers.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew, who led a Sabah delegation to the world's leading travel trade show, said the discussions paved the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Joint Marketing and Promotion Campaign between STB and two European travel agents in due course.

"This would bring the number of MOUs to three, including one with Diethelm Travel Kota Kinabalu Sdn Bhd," she said.

Liew, who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, met with June Nielsen, the owner and managing director of InterTravel, Denmark which was founded in 1978.

The co-operation proposal between STB and IntraTravel involves Joint Marketing and Promotion Campaign in Denmark via workshops, newspaper ads targeted at 250,000 readers and Facebook advertising.

InterTravel is the travel agent that caters to travellers who are looking for unique travel experiences and have individual demands on destinations, mode or transportation and safety. It has promoted Malaysia and Borneo in Europe for more than 30 years.

"We offer beach holidays, package tours and fly-drive on either individual basis or as part of a group. We assure our prospective clients (from Denmark) of the personal service of some of the most well-travelled consultants in the Danish travel industry," Nielsen told the minister.

Liew, who was accompanied by STB chairman Ken Pan Ying On and general manager Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani, also discussed marketing co-operation between STB and Tischler Reisen AG (a German travel agency) with the latter's managing director Michael Metzner.

Based on the discussion (to be followed by an MOU), the cooperation proposal for the period from April to November this year encompasses online promotion in the Tischler media and external media (in cooperation with Tourism Malaysia) and Sabah special page in two Tischler Newspapers "Tischler Reise welten" and "Tischler Aktuell".

These will be distributed to private customers and travel agencies Germany-wide and during Tischler promotion events/seminars for travel agents as well as the travel fairs from January to March 2020. In addition, there will be a special Sabah promotion with selected travel agencies in co-operation with Tourism Malaysia.