Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Sabah casts its economic net to tourism

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to diversify and embark on other economic activities aside from oil palm within the next five years.

Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat told a group of delegates from the 10th Commonwealth Study Conference who were on a courtesy call at his office yesterday that the State is already diversifying into the gas and tourism industries.

“Tourism is a big industry in the world, and likewise in Sabah. We are the next busiest in terms of air traffic after Kuala Lumpur,” he said. He also said that tourism in Sabah was unlike other places due to her people.

“If you stay here for a month, you will understand this. If you go to the rural areas, you will see the genuine warmth of the people, and I have always taken pride in this,” he said.

Many foreigners who were able to stay longer with the people at these rural areas, he said, were amazed not only by the diversity of the cultures of the people residing in the State, but more importantly, got to sample the warmth of the people. “They were so well taken cared of that many of them gained weight,” he joked.

Continue reading at: Sabah casts its economic net to tourism

No comments: