Sabah team’s effort at International Tourism Berlin pays off – Christina
BERLIN: What better venue than the recent International Tourism Berlin (ITB) Berlin 2019 for Sabah to promote herself vigorously to source markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Denmark and many other European countries.
The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew did exactly that at the recent world’s leading international travel trade show at Messe Berlin, here.
In fact, she joked about her mission there, branding herself as a “saleswoman”.
“I became a ‘saleslady’ so to speak, ‘selling’ Sabah as an ideal holiday destination to European travel agencies, tour operators, editors and journalists,” she quipped.
Images of Sabah’s proboscis monkey, orang-utan, pygmy elephant and turtle, rich cultural heritage, Mount Kinabalu, Kinabalu Park as a world heritage site, idyllic islands as well as world-renowned diving sites took centre stage at the event.
From the entrance to the venue and to the stairs leading to the hall, delegates were greeted with pictures of the proboscis monkey.
Even the Managing Director of Rustic Travel, Peter Stenberg who is based in Kota Kinabalu, had a travel magazine produced with the orang-utan for its front cover to lure European travel agents and travellers.
Christina, who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, had a field day “marketing” Sabah as a premier tourist destination through meetings, discussions and interviews with German and other European tourism players, tour operators and travel agents.
While championing Sabah as a premier tourist destination offering a diverse range of natural and cultural attractions, great seafood dining, a diving paradise and exotic wildlife-spotting opportunities, her second key message to potential clients is that Tawau as the gateway to the east coast of Sabah is emerging as a tourism hotspot after the State capital of Kota Kinabalu.
Interviewers included Greecebased Lai Wah Chow (Executive Director of IGI-MICE, International Incentive-Business and Golf Consultant under the European Division of Best Travel Deals) discussed the possibility of holding an international cultural event in Sabah next year, featuring the world’s best choirs.
“I met an interesting lady journalist,” said the Minister who fielded questions from Gabi Drager who writes for travel publications in Germany.
She is interested in Sabah’s natural attractions and exotic wildlife such as the orang-utan.
Christina also welcomed ITB Berlin News Editor-in-Chief Richard Barnes’s plan to come to Sabah and film its wildlife for a documentary later this year.
Sophie Lang, a German trade visitor, expressed her intention to re-visit Sabah as her maiden visit in 2006 was not complete without an expedition to Mount Kinabalu.
“I saw the unique proboscis monkey in the Lower Kinabatangan area. But I was devastated to see how forests were being destroyed then to make way for economic development,” she recalled.
Christina’s sharing on Sabah’s successful community-based tourism (or rural tourism), which generated huge tourism receipts, drew the attention of many, including an elected representative from Johor.
“Liow Cai Tung (Chairman of Women Development and Tourism, Johor) has expressed her interest to visit Sabah to find out how we operate our community-based tourism,” she said.
Notably, Christina, who is MP for Tawau, launched “Cuti Cuti Tawau”, describing Tawau as the gateway to the East Coast of Sabah, whereby visitors have the opportunity to also visit Semporna (springboard to world-class diving sites) and Lahad Datu (gateway to Danum Valley Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve).
Among Tawau’s attractions are the Tawau Hills Park (home to the world’s tallest tropical tree), Balung River Eco Resort, Roach Reef Resort and Teck Guan Cocoa Village and Cocoa Museum.
German travel agents wanted to know how to get to Tawau and Semporna (springboard to worldclass diving sites at Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Mabul, among others).
Tawau has daily direct flights from Kota Kinabalu as well as from Kuala Lumpur. There is also a service directly linking Sandakan directly with Tawau. A network of roads links Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu, Sukau and Sandakan.
On hand to assist in promotion efforts were Chairman of STB Ken Pan Ying On, STB General Manager Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani and President of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, Datuk Tan Kok Liang.
Pan was interviewed by Harald Mielke, a writer for Aquanaut next generation, a German-based travel magazine.
He offered insights into Sabah’s famous diving spots such as Sipadan, Mabul, Mataking and Mantanani.
STB Marketing Manager Cassie Perpetua Forsythe and Assistant Marketing Manager, Daniel Roman, who manned the Board’s Business Session booth, received numerous queries on Sabah Tourism in their meetings mainly with German travel agents.
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa Director of Sales, Jocelyn D. Untasan availed herself of the opportunity to promote the hotel at the booth, saying “It’s mutual support. Sabah Tourism Board supports the resort’s promotion exercise and vice versa.”
Christina was pleased to note that Sabah’s registered travel agents, who took part in ITB Berlin 2019, had secured business deals.
“Their concerted effort has paid off. It was worth participating in this international travel trade show.”
Interestingly, a leading hotel has successfully closed deals with a UK-based travel agency for tours to Sabah by 17 series groups from the UK (involving elderly travellers) in collaboration with STB.
These tourists started streaming in from March this year and the flow is expected to continue until 2020.
The other good news is that beginning in June this year until October 2020, we will see an influx of British tourists under the Wild Borneo tour package.
This 13-day affair offers 14 excursions and visits covering Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu National Park, Kinabatangan River, Gomantong Caves and Sandakan.
The tag line ‘It’s a jungle out there’ promises a great adventure to the rainforests of Borneo with a great opportunity to view its exotic flora and fauna.
Meanwhile, Director of Sarawak Tourism Board, Benedict Jimbau said both Sabah and Sarawak are working together to promote Borneo Malaysia.
“We are neighbours. We (Sarawak) and Sabah have agreed to complement each other in our efforts to ‘sell’ Borneo to the world,” he said, adding that the tourism board in each state went overseas together to promote Sabah and Sarawak in Australia, for example.