Lee urges airlines to make Miri the gateway to northern S’wak

MIRI: Airlines companies such as AirAsia and Malindo Air have been urged to make Miri a gateway to the state, especially for potential markets like cities in Southern China.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin said yesterday that with a geographical advantage like Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Miri is an ideal gateway to northern Sarawak.

“KK’s ( Kota Kinabalu) tourism has flourished and thus I appeal to both airlines to look into the possibility of extending their flights to fly directly from Miri to cities in the southern region of China,” he told The Borneo Post after a meet-the-people session at SUPP Senadin here.

Lee reiterated that Miri has great products to offer to visitors and the business community, ranging from culture to adventure and nature.

He said the cosmopolitan Miri city, with its large expatriate community alone, has a big demand for air connectivity, while the booming economy especially in the oil and gas industry and agriculture sector have added to this demand.

He said the many national parks including the heritage site of the MuluCaves,aswellastheprehistoric Niah Cave and the Marine Park, are among Miri’s excellent tourism products. However, Lee said good air connectivity is a critical determining factor for the success of tourism development in the state.

Meanwhile, Malindo Air during a meeting recently assured Lee that the airline would look seriously into the suggestion to have direct international links to Miri.