Local fashion can lure tourists, says Masidi
Published on: Sunday, April 20, 2014
Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun believes the local fashion industry is capable of attracting more tourists to Sabah."I received positive feedback from tourists about Malaysian fashion products which they feel are not expensive and cannot be found in their country. Some even said the quality of Malaysian goods is better than other international brands found in their homeland," he said.He said this at the launching of the Suria Sabah Spring/Summer Fashion Month 2014, themed "Holiday Escapade", from April 4 to May 4.
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"I would like to congratulate Suria Sabah Shopping Mall for coming up with such creativity not only to improve its business but also to enlighten the atmosphere," he said."I hope this event will more or less contribute in attracting tourists to visit Sabah even if it is on a smaller scale for now," he said, adding that lately, there were less Chinese tourists coming to Sabah.However, Masidi said he was confident that this phenomenon would be temporary and tourists from China would return in droves in the near future. "In fact, yesterday, I saw many Chinese tourists checking in at a five-star hotel here," he said, adding Sabah could be turned into a retail destination selling local brands in the scale of mid range by increasing flights between Sabah and other market countries such as China, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
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"I am impressed with the quality of the clothing paraded by the fashion models a while ago. I realised that the flower prints on the women's clothing are almost the similar with those sold in United Kingdom," he said."I am not trying to be bias but its elegance shares the same similarities with those sold in big stores, for example, at Liberty in London. Besides, the price offered here is worth and I'm confident that if we build up the industry well, coupled with good marketing, we can turn Sabah into a place famous for mid range products," he added.
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Masidi hoped more shopping complexes would follow Suria Sabah Shopping Mall in making Kota Kinabalu attractive, providing tourists not only the best destination for their holidays but also goods for them to purchase as souvenirs. "I believe in our strength in offering goods with reasonable prices, giving satisfaction to customers and making their visit to Kota Kinabalu more worth than they have expected," he added.Meanwhile, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall General Manager Tan Ting Wai said several activities would be held in conjunction with the Fashion Month such as Kiddy's Catwalk Competition and Deejays and Dance Performance.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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