SANDAKAN: Sabah is moving to strengthen safety standards across its tourism industry amid growing concerns over unlicensed operators and rising expectations from international travellers, says Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.
The Deputy Human Resources Minister said the Safety Induction for Tourism Industry (Siti) programme would be expanded throughout the state to improve safety awareness and compliance at tourism destinations.
He said international tourists were no longer looking only at attractions, but were also closely assessing safety, cleanliness and environmental conditions before deciding where to travel.
“We know international tourists constantly look at safety aspects. Is safety guaranteed? They also look at cleanliness and pollution levels at tourism centres,” he said at the Youth Employability Empowerment Appreciation Ceremony programme here on Friday (May 15).
“That is why Siti will be expanded to tourism centres across Sabah. We know many tourism centres, especially resorts, do not have the proper licences.
“This is one of the measures for us to better understand why they are unable to meet the standards that have been set,” he added.
Khairul Firdaus also acknowledged that occupational safety and health awareness in Sabah remained relatively low, saying more exposure, workshops and training programmes were needed to improve industry standards.
He said the government, together with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was working to expand more safety-related programmes and industry exposure across Sabah to strengthen the tourism ecosystem.
Khairul Firdaus said strengthening workplace safety culture was becoming increasingly important as Sabah continued positioning itself as a major eco-tourism destination internationally.
He said globally recognised attractions in Sandakan, such as Sepilok, Kinabatangan, Rainforest Discovery Centre, and Labuk Bay made it crucial for the state to maintain strong tourism safety standards.
The programme also saw 28 students and lecturers from Sandakan Vocation College 2 undergoing tourism safety exposure training aimed at improving industry readiness among local youths.
Meanwhile, the college’s director, Christine Stanislaus Kinsik, described the programme as a valuable advantage for students preparing to enter the tourism industry.
She said students would normally have to obtain the certification on their own and bear the costs themselves, with many from Sandakan also needing to travel to Kota Kinabalu to attend the course.
“This actually gives very good job opportunities to my students in the future.
“We hope programmes like this can continue for youths,” she said, adding that such certification was increasingly important for those entering the tourism sector.
