Sabah has set a target of 2.7 million visitor arrivals by 2007…
Sabah has set a target of 2.7 million visitor arrivals by 2007 and four million by 2010.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat said that to cater for the projected increase, the state government expected to see corresponding growth and development of the tourism infrastructure and facilities.
One of the infrastructure projects to be carried out this year was the expansion of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport which was expected to be completed within 30 months, he said.
The airport, the second busiest airport after the KL International Airport in Sepang, served 3.9 million passengers last year, which was 56 per cent above its operating capacity of 2.5 million passengers a year, he added.
Sabah received 1.72 million visitors last year compared with 1.25 million in 2003, he said at the biennial Sabah Tourism Awards 2005 presentation here Saturday night.
Chong said it was not enough to attract new visitors and tap new markets, it was also important to develop and sustain as well as encourage more repeat and long-stay visitors.
He also called on the tourism industry to be more proactive and to come up with creative quality packages tailored to the state tourism resources like Sabah`s extensive marine resources which offered great potential for the development of marine tourism as a lucrative niche market.
To ensure its long-term success, the industry must conduct its business with integrity and honesty apart from promoting high service standards among its staff to enable them to have the cutting edge over their competitors in Malaysia and in the region, he said.
Thirty-nine awards in various categories were given out last night with the Minister`s Special Recognition Award going to the former general manager of Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, Reto Klauser,
Kudat was declared the Cleanest Town while Peppino of Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort won the Best Hotel Restaurant award, Sandakan Safari Adventure by S.I. Tours (M) Sdn Bhd (Best Tour Package), and Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu (Excellence in Hotel Services Award for the five-star business hotel category).
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