Project will ease shortage of hotel rooms
THE exciting new tourism development of KK Resort City will ease the shortage of hotel rooms in the state capital, said Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw.
“I am very excited about this major mixed tourism development project just 15 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu.
“Sabah cannot depend solely on natural tourist attractions like islands. We need to encourage local and foreign investors to develop man-made tourism products, including high standard resorts,” he said.
Liaw is confident that tourist arrivals to the State would continue to grow with concerted efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, and industry players to promote Sabah in China, Northeast Asia, Europe, United States, and Australia.
He pointed out that having sufficient hotel rooms is vital to support the increasing tourist numbers and direct flights to Sabah.
“We cannot keep luring tourists and direct flights here without having investors building more accommodation, particularly upscale hotels, to cope with the growth,” he said.
Liaw said KK Resort City would not only provide facilities for tourists to enjoy, but also allow them to swim safely at the beach due to its gradual descent into deeper waters, rather than an abrupt drop.
He suggested the potential of building a water park nearby.
Liaw added that the development would benefit if the existing Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is relocated to the Kimanis-Bongawan area in the future.
He said the KK Resort City project would likely motivate the government to develop tourismrelated products in Kinarut as well.
Additionally, he said the development would also augur well for existing tourist destinations in the area, including Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, Dinawan Island, Pulau Tiga, and Kuala Penyu.
“To learn that the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal will be officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony of KK Resort City on May 2 indicates that the project is in the pipeline.
“We hope to see tourists enjoying the facilities in the development when the project is completed,” he said. Five-star hotels Upscale resorts and hotels have great potential in Sabah as the current occupancy rate in existing five-star hotels is over 90 per cent, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
Liew, who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said the State Government is pleased that the KK Resort City project is underway.
“We hope the project will run smoothly and be completed in the next two years,” she said, expressing her optimism on KK Resort City’s prospects owing to its strategic beachfront location and proximity to the city.
“There is shortage of hotel rooms in Kota Kinabalu and I believe KK Resort City will ease the problem.”
She is also confident that the development would bring in more tourists to the State. According to Liew, Sabah is expecting four million tourist arrivals this year.
“China is the top source country for tourists visiting Sabah. Nevertheless, we are working on wooing tourists from Europe, United States and Middle East to achieve a more balanced development for the tourism market.”
Liew led a delegation to the recent International Tourism Berlin (ITB), where it was learned that European tourists were extremely interested in ecotourism, such as proboscis monkeys, orang-utans, and islands.
The State Government is also stepping up tourism development in Sandakan and Tawau, she said. She said jungle trekking in Lahad Datu, diving in Semporna, Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, and pygmy elephants in Kinabatangan, are great attractions to Western tourists.
Furthermore, Liew said her ministry is looking into developing new attractions this year to encourage repeat tourists.
These include turning Petagas War Memorial into a tourism hotspot, upgrading Mount Kinabalu infrastructure, developing a cultural centre in Kinarut, and creating multiple new tourism products at Tawau Hill Park.
“We have long and short-term plans to develop the tourism industry.”
Liew will head to Turkey in the Middle East to promote Sabah tourism in the middle of this year.
“During the ITB event, I met with a tourism player from Turkey, who was very keen on Sabah.
“In our initial discussion, he has promised to bring one million Middle East tourists to the State every year if we could reach an agreement,” she said.
If all goes well, Liew said Sabah would need to have more five-star hotels to cater to the demand and KK Resort City would be able to fill the gap as well.
As such, she stressed the huge potential for luxury, highend resorts and hotels in Sabah given the near-capacity occupancy rate for five-star hotels in the State.