Sabah tourism on track for strong comeback, says Hajiji

Hajiji being taken on a down memory lane tour of the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa since its establishment in 1983.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is showing signs of a strong comeback in terms of tourist arrivals after the pandemic with the state recording a hotel occupancy rate average of over 50% for the past six months, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

"Even as we speak, visitor arrivals continue to show strong growth in 2023, with overall visitor arrivals to Sabah registered at 1.4 million international and domestic arrivals from January to July of this year,” said the Chief Minister.

"With this figure, Sabah is poised to achieve its target of 2.2 million visitors this year, which is a good sign.

“As of now, this has generated an estimated tourism receipt of RM2.9bil (an increase of 99.7%) for Sabah," he said at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa’s 40th Ruby anniversary celebrations here on Monday (Oct 9) night.

To support the growth, Hajiji said an additional 2,053 rooms will soon be available, with seven new hotels coming on stream.

He said this will add to the 685 existing hotels ranging from five-star to budget hotels or lodges, with a 26,822-room capacity in Sabah.

He said this development augured well for the state with statistics showing that Sabah continues to be a sought-after destination among tourists.

It was encouraging to note that Sabah's average hotel occupancy rate for the past six months this year has been at 52%.

"I am told on certain days some hotels have reported full occupancy, especially during holidays or when events were being held," Hajiji said, noting he was glad the hospitality industry has quickly recovered from the pandemic.

"We are optimistic moving forward to ensure that resolute measures are taken to ensure we are on our feet and on track to implement our development plan, the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya, in accordance with our aspirations to foster a Sabah that is united, prosperous, and inclusive.

“And for that, I need all of you to be on the same page with me and the state government," he said.

The Chief Minister also said the state government sees much potential in community-based tourism (COBT).

"We want to see this sector grow throughout the state so that more communities from the rural areas will benefit from the economic opportunities and spin-offs.

"A branding initiative for community-based tourism by the Sabah Tourism Board will be done soon to take it to another level," he said.