Intensify efforts to draw more tourists: Joniston
Published on: Thursday, April 21, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai called on the State Government to continue targeting new markets as well as devise new marketing strategies to draw more tourists to Sabah.Joniston, who is also Sabah Tourism Board Chairman, said this was important as the tourism sector was one of the three core areas given emphasis by the State Government, other than the agriculture and industrial sectors."The tourism sector is a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product in Sabah. For example, in the projections for 2015, the contribution of the Sabah services sector was RM24.363 billion while that of the tourism sector RM6.59 billion.ADVERTISEMENT "This means that while the prices of crude oil and commodities such as palm oil dropped, the tourism sector emerged as the saviour for the State or country's economy," he said when debating on the motion of thanks for Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin's address at the State Assembly sitting.In line with the efforts to promote the tourism sector in Sabah, Joniston proposed that the Government consider setting up duty-free tourism zones in several strategic areas in the major cities in the state such as Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau.He said these zones could attract more tourists to the State, thus increasing the revenue for the State and nation.Meanwhile, Bingkor Assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Star-Bingkor) said the State Government needs to study in detail the security problems in Sabah from various angles, especially the root causes contributing to the issues. ADVERTISEMENT He said the move would find more effective and concrete solutions for lasting security and public order in Sabah and its waters. "Otherwise, we will only be fighting one incident after another and cannot prevent it (permanently)," he said.
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Lahad Datu Assemblyman Mohd Yusof Apdal called on the Government to expedite construction of a new airport for Lahad Datu to boost its tourism industry.Inanam Assemblyman Dr Roland Chia called on the State Government to get Petronas to build a university in Sabah.