KOTA KINABALU: Sabah plans to intensify its collaboration with Singapore Airlines to bring in more Australian tourists to the state, says Datuk Christina Liew.
The state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said that Singapore Airlines and Singapore's low budget airline Scoot had good connectivity within the Australian cities - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Cains.
As such, she said the airlines could help bring in Australian tourists to Sabah with the resumption of flight services from Singapore to Kota Kinabalu since April last year.
Liew, who is currently leading the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) team to promote the state in Australia, said this after a meeting with Singapore Airlines Australia regional vice president (Southwest Pacific) Louis Leonard Arul in Sydney.
She said that STB was looking at working with Singapore Airlines for a joint campaign to fully explore the Australian outbound traffic, especially for those looking for travel beyond cities and beach holidays.
"There has to be consistency and frequency in our promotional efforts to get an impact in our results.
"Sabah's flagship attractions such as islands, holiday beach resorts, wildlife, local community and its unique culture fascinate the Australians," Liew said.
Liew also visited the Sandakan Memorial located in Burwood Park in Sydney on Saturday (Aug 26).
The Memorial was established in remembrance of those who died as Prisoners of War (POWs) during the Sandakan-Ranau Death March in the Second World War. It was dedicated on Aug 1, 1993.
"The purpose of our visit to the site is to pay our respects to the soldiers who perished during the Death March.
"At the same time, we want to enhance our promotion of Sabah as a preferred holiday destination by the descendants of the war dead," Liew added.
