Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew chats with Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit (middle) and others during the ministry’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday (May 2).
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is conducting a thorough study on the behaviour and spending patterns of South Korean visitors to the state to find ways of addressing the reported monopoly by foreign-owned tourism companies.
STB chief executive officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit said the study's findings would be used to formulate effective promotion strategies and ensure a hospitable atmosphere for tourists.
“We also want to find out how we can leverage their spending to benefit Sabah’s economy,” he said on Thursday (May 2).
He was responding to complaints that foreign companies are dominating restaurants and tour bus operations in Sabah to cater for their countrymen, especially those from China and South Korea, taking business away from local players.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of the month and may be extended to include tourists from other countries, he added.
Agreeing that such a monopoly is unfair, state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the study would also explore ways to give tourists greater exposure to attractions and tourism activities across the whole of Sabah.
“We are working with the Sarawak tourism board and when the study is concluded, we would submit a joint memorandum to the (federal) Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry outlining our wants. It is high time (for action to be taken),” she told reporters at the ministry's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration here.
She added that the state government would also revisit the call to delegate tourism licensing powers, currently under federal purview, to Sabah.
On complaints about the dominance of foreign operators in Sabah’s tourism industry, Liew pointed out that there was still a contribution to the state's economy through payments for accommodation, food and beverage, and activities such as golf, diving and mountain climbing.
“However, (the) study (will) find the best remedy for this issue,” she said.
