Tourists spent RM2.23bil in Sabah over first 4 months of year

Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor being greeted on arrival for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Tawau International Cultural Centre in Sabindo, Tawau, today. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The one million tourists who flocked to Sabah during the first four months of the year generated revenue of RM2.23 billion.

Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor said based on statistics from the Sabah Tourism Board, the number comprised 396,584 international tourists and 607,371 domestic tourists.

“The state government is committed to promoting various inclusive tourism initiatives and programmes to make Sabah the most attractive tourist destination in Malaysia,” he said, according to Bernama.

“The introduction of new attractions for tourists will assist in achieving the target of three million tourist arrivals in Sabah this year.”

Hajiji said this after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the Tawau International Cultural Centre (TICC) at the construction site in Sabindo, Tawau, today.

He said a new resort was coming up in Tawau Hills Park, which includes chalets, a walking path, hot water pools and Pangolin Research Centre.

The Tawau jetty will be upgraded to bring in tourists from Semporna.

“Tawau serves as a gateway to the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, which is popular in Semporna, registering 25,684 visitors from January to April.”

Hajiji said currently there are 115 weekly flights, with a capacity of 20,200 seats, servicing the Tawau to Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan sectors.

As of June 15, a total of 32 special chartered flights arrived in Tawau from Nanjing and Guangzhou, China,” he said.

Hajiji said the TICC would serve as the hub for organising various cultural activities, including the Tawau International Cultural Festival.