16 packages launched to lure tourists to Labuan
Published on: Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Labuan: Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with four local tour agencies, has launched 16 holiday packages to lure tourists to Labuan. Dubbed the 'Best of Labuan Holiday Packages 2016', the promotion was launched by Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Strategic and Domestic) Chong Yoke Har, here, Tuesday. The tour agencies involved were LGM Tour & Travel Sdn Bhd, Borneo Star Dive Sdn Bhd, Destination Borneo Sdn Bhd and Jiwaja Rent A Car Sdn Bhd.
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In her speech, Chong said each package offers different activities to suit tourists' interests. "The activities include reef diving at the Marine Park, diving at the World War II and 1980's shipwreck sites, exploring a coal mining tunnel, and shopping at the Labuan market and duty free shops," she said. As for the 'Dive Our WWII & 1980's Shipwrecks package, she said travellers could go for wreck-diving at four dive sites, comprising the American wreck, Australian wreck, Cement wreck, and Blue Water wreck starting from RM408 per person with a minimum of four people. "The Trail & Trek Tanjung Kubong package gives consumers the opportunity to explore the 18th century coal mining tunnel in Tanjung Kubong, as well as tour the island and shop for duty free items," she added.
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Chong said the 3D2N package starts from RM658 per person with a minimum of four people and the 2D1N Battlefield package, which starts from RM718 per person (minimum of two persons) offers a guided war history tour of the battlefield sites, namely the Brown Beach, St Anne's School, Pitch 1 & Pitch 2, Surrender Points & World War II Memorial. The 3D2N Par-Fect Experience golf travel package to the Labuan International Golf Club (LIGC) costs RM748 per person with a minimum two persons.
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The Island Hopping Fun Tastic one-day package promises a remarkable snorkelling experience at the Marine, Park comprising Kuraman, Rusukan Kecil, Rusukan Besar and Papan Islands starts from RM1,208 per person with minimum of 12 people. Chong said efforts to attract tourists from China to Labuan were being actively implemented, culminating in charter flights from six second-tier cities such as Kunming, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan and Zhengshou to Labuan for six months. She said the first one flight per week would start on July 15 with a maximum capacity of 160 passengers per flight and each Chinese tourist is expected to spend US$2,000. Chong said in the strive to promote Labuan as a top-of-mind tourist attraction, Tourism Malaysia is organising a three-day familiarisation visit for 13 local media representatives and bloggers from May 9 to 11. The media will visit the Kampung Air Patau-Patau Homestay, Labuan International Golf Club, Peace Park and Surrender Point, Rusukan Island, Labuan Museum, WWII Memorial, Labuan Duty Free Shop, Tip of Labuan, Gedung Ubat and The Chimney. The number of tourists visiting Labuan declined 2.6 per cent to 1,015,427 in 2015 from the previous year. Meanwhile, the marine parks of Labuan, including the islands of Rusukan Kecil and Rusukan Besar, could be a potential tourist draw, said Chong."However, these islands must be upgraded with better accessibility and amenities, and the marine life and coral must be safeguarded," she said.She said Labuan Corporation, as the local authority, must promote collaboration between local and Sabah-based tour agents to create new holiday packages which include Labuan.Chong said Sabah accounts for 90 per cent of the charter flights from foreign countries, and this must be taken advantage of by Labuan tour agents.Labuan must also be easily accessible to domestic and foreign holidaymakers, and to this end the local authority and relevant ministries including the Ministry of Transport must establish more direct flights to the island, she said."More importantly, Labuan must have a blueprint for a long-term tourism plan," she added.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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