Sabah tourism ministry prepares for April 1 border reopening by seeking stakeholders’ feedback

KOTA KINABALU: An engagement with Sabah tourism industry captains and enforcement officials to assess their state of preparedness and identify potential issues ahead of the April 1 national border re-opening, was held by the state Tourism, Culture, and Environment Ministry on Thursday (March 17).

Among the concerns highlighted were airport congestion, inadequate airport immigration checkpoints, designated quarantine centres for Covid-19 positive travellers, and Covid-19 test requirement, in the meeting chaired by the Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.

The stakeholders also suggested the state government establish a standardized standard operating procedure (SOP) to facilitate tourist entry into the state, he said in a statement issued after the meeting.

"They proposed a standardized SOP, as having one that differed from the federal ones would just add to confusion and make things more complicated for tourists," said Bangkuai, who was also Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman.

Speaking on the engagement, he said it was critical to gather feedback from stakeholders to ensure adequate preparations could be done by Sabah prior to April 1 when international tourists were expected to return.

"The Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is the most important entry point into Sabah.

"Therefore, it is critical that all stakeholders express their points of view so that we can find early solutions to problems that are likely to arise," said Bangkuai, adding that a practical guideline was needed to better serve tourists and avoid burdening them with obstacles upon entering the state.

He said suggestions received would be forwarded by the Ministry to the Covid-19 Command Center for further deliberation before being brought to the National Security Council (NSC).

Regular engagements were expected to be carried out from time to time to improve on the current situation and quality of service, Bangkuai added.

Among attendees for the engagement were KKIA customs as well as immigration representatives, Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang and Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Sabah Chapter chairman Hafizan Wong.

Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) president Datuk Winston Liaw, The Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) Sabah Chapter chairman James Ong, Sabah Tourists Association chairman Tonny Chew, and Sabah Tourist Guides Association chairperson Grace Leong were also present.