STA appoints new Executive Committee members
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourist Association (STA) has announced its Executive Committee members for the 2021-2023 term of office with Tonny Chew, Managing Director of Kinabalu Heritage Tours & Car Rental re-elected as the chairman at its 44th Annual General meeting on March 5. Also re-elected for another two years were the Country Manager of Camp Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Melanie Chu as the deputy chairman, Pauline Chin, Senior Marketing Manager of AHSB Rentacar Sdn Bhd as Honorary Secretary General and Martin Ismail Kong, General Manager of Sabah Tea Resort Sdn Bhd as Honorary Treasurer.
The 2021-2023 line-up sees new faces in Luke Yong, the Executive Director of Borneo Legend Travel Sdn Bhd, Albert A. Aseh, the Managing Director of Aseh Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd and Christianne Goonting, the Owner Manager of Lavinia Private Art Gallery.
Goonting returns to the Executive Committee after heading the Association’s Sub Committee for Art Tourism & Environment in the last term of office.
Also elected into the General Committee which forms the representation for the ten tourism sectors represented by STA are 16 member companies – Inno Travel & Tours Services Sdn Bhd, Perkasa Hotel Holdings Sdn Bhd, Lavinia Private Art Gallery, Chanteek Borneo Gallery, Muzium Lotud Borneo, Borneo Tourism Institute Sdn Bhd, Acorn Services. Sabah Tea Resort Sdn Bhd, Wisma Merdeka Management Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Kapasi Sdn Bhd (Imago Shopping Mall), AHSB Rentacar Sdn Bhd, Aseh Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Camp Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, Tropika Events & Travel Sdn Bhd, Borneo Legend Travel Sdn Bhd and Kinabalu Heritage Tours & Car Rental Sdn Bhd.
The General Committee holds the governing power of the Association and ensures that all its businesses shall be at all times in compliance with its Constitution.
Chew notes the new line-up represents a diverse mix of Sabah’s tourism industry stakeholders – from destination/product owners, tour operators, transportation providers, accommodation and restaurant operators, training institute and shopping mall management.
With a combined wealth of knowledge in the tourism industry and expertise in their own tourism related fields, the new line-up looks forward to work in partnership with the tourism authorities both at state and federal levels and all relevant tourism stakeholders to revive the tourism industry in Sabah post Covid-19.
He stressed that the next two years will be crucial to restore confidence for travelling, adaptation to new norm and technology and building a resilient tourism industry in Sabah.
He reckons that along with solid and holistic strategies, effective cooperation and communication will accelerate the road to postCovid-19 recovery.
Established in 1963, the key objectives of STA are to facilitate the promotion and development of the tourism industry in Sabah; to encourage and render assistance towards the improvement of all tourism related sectors including accommodation, entertainment, catering, tourist transport, tours and travel, health and wellness, shopping, diving and golfing, tourist destinations and other tourism related sectors such as art and crafts and; to promote and coordination in all matters pertaining to tourism publicity, while all the while keeping the interest of its members as its top priority.