13,401 visitors to 3 museums in S'kan and Kinabatangan
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2012
SANDAKAN: Some 13,401 local and foreign tourists visited three museums in Sandakan and Kinabatangan last year. The three museums are Muzium Warisan Sandakan and Rumah Agnes Keith in Sandakan and Muzium Agop Batu Tulug in Kinabatangan. Museum assistant Shafinah Yusop said of the total, 8,816 were local tourists while 4,585 were foreigners. "The 13,401 tourists recorded was a decline of 536 from the 13,937 recorded in 2010. Australian tourists and local tourists from the bulk of visitors to the three museums annually," she said Shafinah said annually, the three museums were visited by 4,500 - 5,000 foreign tourists and 8,500 - 9,500 local tourists. Rumah Agnes Keith, opened in April 2004 ...

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Sabah expects 2.75 million tourist arrivals - Masidi
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2012
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is projecting about 2.75 million or more tourist arrivals this year which is expected to be a repeat positive performance in 2010. Disclosing this here yesterday, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said with economic challenges facing Europe, it would also be quite challenging in the other parts of the world, including Sabah especially with the suspension of direct flights from Sabah to four international destinations. "In 2011, we exceeded the 2.63 million target. I am looking at this year's with optimism. We could repeat last year's performance or we could hopefully increase a bit more but I believe the increase will not be ...

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Accreditation for tourism-related business
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2012
KOTA KINABALU: City Hall (DBKK) is looking to introducing accreditation to tourism-related products and services being offered in the city. Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said that it was one way to develop the fast-growing tourism sector. "We want to ensure that these products and services fulfill the criteria," he said when launching Kadaiku which has been endorsed as tourism business outlet at Sinsuran Complex here yesterday. The event was launched by State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun. Abidin said that the scheme would focus on shopping malls, grocery shops, restaurants, coffeeshops and even lodging houses. Under the scheme, the products and services must ...

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Book on "Colonial Townships in Sabah: West Coast" launched
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun launched a new book by the Architects Association of Malaysia (PAM) Sabah Chapter, here yesterday. The 268 pages thick book entitled "Colonial Townships In Sabah: West Coast," sponsored by Colourcoil Industries Sdn Bhd and the City Top Enterprise Co., Ltd. Selected 12 towns from the 1900s to the pre-independence days. The selected town are Weston, Beaufort, Membakut, Kimanis, Papar, Kinarut and Jesselton; buildings in these towns was erected along the North Borneo railway line in the West Coast and it still has the influence of British colonial architecture from the period 1881 to 1963. In this speech, Masidi ...

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Foreigners choose Sipadan as favourite diving spot
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parks officer Awangku Mohd Rodzan Pengiran Dahlan said most foreigners chose Sipadan as their favourite diving spot in Sabah and statistical evidence confirms that the number of foreign tourists to Sipadan Island surpasses that of the local tourists. From January to October last year, 30,959 foreign tourists visited the world renowned diving haven compared to 4,523 local visitors. There were a total of 43,553 divers at Sipadan in 2009 and 43,475 divers in 2010. Awangku Mohd Rodzan also said that the Poring Hot Spring received 253,216 visitors up until October last year. In 2010, 318,284 tourists visited the natural hot spring while in 2009, the number of tourists ...

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Sabah hopes to achieve 2.63m tourists
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2011
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism Board hopes to achieve 2.63 million international and domestic tourist arrivals in the State this year. "The total number of tourist arrivals as of September this year has already increased by 15 per cent compared to last year's figure and contributed some RM4 billion to the State's economy," said its Chairman Dato Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin. He said the domestic tourism was also encouraging, with the State recording some 60 per cent in domestic tourist arrivals. "Tourist arrivals from China, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia have also increased to 38 per cent, with repeat overall tourists to Malaysia reaching an average of 50 per cent. "Last year alone, there were ...

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KK - a destination that promises a 'difference'
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2011
KOTA KINABALU: Celebrated chef, writer and traveller Anthony Bourdain once said it is better to "be a traveller, not a tourist." With those words in mind, this writer visited Kota Kinabalu for two days intent on exploring as many interesting locations as possible. The flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (LTAKK) took two hours and 10 minutes, crossing the South China Sea over a distance of some 1,600km. As soon as the flight touched down and this writer alighted from the plane, he felt as if he were in a different dimension, as the air at the airport was much fresher and the atmosphere more tranquil than the hustle and bustle in Kuala ...

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Ten-day Ducati Borneo convoy the next big automotive tourism attraction
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2011
KOTA KINABALU: Ducati Multistrada Borneo Experience is on its way to become a staple event in Ducati Worldwide Events Calendar and the next big automotive tourism attraction in this region. According to the NAZA Group of Companies Group Chief Operating Officer, Datuk SM Zulkifli SM Amin, the 10-day convoy which covers the entire Malaysian Borneo will be submitted to Ducati Worldwide to become one of the Italian superbike manufacturers' recognised events. "Ducati Worldwide has been encouraging all their dealers to start participating in their events such as Multistrada Pikes Peak in America as well as a similar event in Australia. So when they invited us and our Multistrada team to join, we ...

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"Dive Against Debris" on Dec 7 at Mamutik island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2011
Kota Kinabalu: Local scuba divers will "Diver Against Debris" on Dec 7 at Mamutik Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. As part of Borneo Divers' commitment to protect the ocean, trained divers not only remove underwater debris such as plastic bottles, fishing line and other debris, but also identify and document everything they see underwater in a larger effort to prevent marine debris. Marine debris - or our trash in the ocean - makes its way to our underwater environment by tonnes. It is estimated that 13,000 pieces of debris mostly plastic on every square kilometer of our ocean surface. These tiny pieces are easily swallowed by marine life and can have a deadly effect. More than one million ...

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Sabah's top tourism players to be honoured
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2011
KOTA KINABALU: This Saturday, Sabah's top tourism players will be honoured at the seventh edition of the Sabah Tourism Awards. The event celebrates the industry's achievements and acknowledges outstanding individuals and organisations which have contributed towards the growth of the tourism industry in the state. This year's theme will be reminiscent of all the glitz and glamour of this very vibrant and versatile industry. According to a statement issued by Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sabah Tourism Board, it also acknowledges the hard work and dedication that have been put into building up the industry. The Sabah Tourism Awards, held biennially, was ...

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