Labuan still favoured by Brunei visitors

By Achong Tanjong

Malaysia registered 16.4 million visitors to the country during the period from January to December 2005. This is an overall increase of 4.6 % compared to the same period the previous year.

Truly Malaysia (The Essential Travel Newsletter for Friends of Malaysia) reported that in the month of December alone there has been an overwhelming increase of 8.8 % in tourist arrivals.

This in effect added up to 1,417,236 visitors in 2005 against 1,302,967 visitors for the same period last year.

The top tourism markets in December were Singapore (9,634,506 visitors), Thailand (1,900,839 visitors), Indonesia (962,957 visitors), Brunei Darussalam (486,344 visitors), China (352,089 visitors) and Japan (340,027).

Meanwhile, Malaysia is targetting a figure of 20.1 million tourist arrivals for 2007 during the Visit Malaysia Year 2007, which coincides with Malaysia's 50th year of independence.

As part of the 9th Malaysia Plan, the focus is on niche markets such as Eco-tourism, health tourism, homestay program and Mice-meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.

The Ministry of Tourism has started an incentive scheme called "Malaysia Welcomes the World", a preparatory program for VMY 2007 to upgrade the hospitality skills of Malaysians.

Meanwhile, according the static from Immigration Department of Malaysia (KL), Brunei Darussalam visitors (17,489) are only second in the list of foreign visitors to Labuan after Philippines visitors (18,662) during the period of January to December 2005.

However, in the same period of 2004 and 2003 Bruneian visitors to the Island recorded 20,300 and 21,327 respectively.

Overall numbers of Asean visitors to the island from January to December 2005 were 45,233 compared to 59,580 visitors in the same period of 2004.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday

Malaysia Airlines offers supersaver fares

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines is offering return travel "International Supersaver fares" through its website www.malaysiaairlines.com starting yesterday until May 10, 2006, on 24 routes from Kuala Lumpur to selected destinations in Asean, China and the Indian sub-continent.

"The national airline is giving out these special offers to commemorate the ‘Economy Class Onboard Service Excellence Award 2006’ received from Skytrax, United Kingdom," it said in a statement yesterday.

"These special promotional offers for economy class travel, which range from as low as RM199 to Medan, Indonesia, up to RM1,279 to Hyderabad, India, are valid for outbound travel from Kuala Lumpur," the airline said.

It added that the supersaver fares only cover journey between Kuala Lumpur and 13 Asean destinations, five destinations in China and six in the Indian sub-continent.

For Asean destinations, lower rates are applicable from May 10 to May 25, 2006, and from June 10 to August 15, 2006. The airline said special rates for destinations in the Indian sub-continent are for departures from May 10 to August 15, 2006, while

China destinations are valid for departures from June 12 to August 15, 2006.

Children below 12 years are charged 75 per cent of adult rates, it added.

Malaysia Airlines’ commercial director Datuk Abdul Rashid Khan called on passengers to take advantage of these value-for-money airfares and plan their journeys also for the forthcoming school holidays from May 26 to June 9, 2006.

Courtesy of New Sabah Times

MAS clinches international award for 'Economy Class Onboard Service Excellence'

By Magdalene Rogers

Malaysia Airlines clinched the 'Economy Class Onboard Service Excellence 2006' award in an international airline survey conducted by Skytrax Research of London, UK, as stated in a press release.

The national flag carrier was declared the global winner in this category of the Skytrax Airline Excellence 2006 awards, which involved assessments applied through a detailed product and service agenda - covering up to 800 different rating items.

An awards panel made up of Directors and Audit staff at Skytrax, with additional grading for the award process utilising a selective study amongst 3,424 members of the SKYTRAX Business Research Group voted Malaysia Airlines to the number one position in this global ranking.

Delighted with the news of this announcement, Malaysia Airlines' Managing Director, Mr Idris Jala said, "We are indeed proud of this achievement. We are recognised as the best in the world in this category.

"This recognition is very timely as, in line with the 'Flying to Win Customers' thrust of our Business Turnaround Plan, we have now moved from a 'business-focused' to 'leisure-focused and business-interested' customer base."

"We have increased our economy class competitiveness by focusing on the leisure traffic, the key driver of our profitability.

"I commend the efforts of our staff for their exemplary customer service delivery which has won us this reputable recognition.

"I am confident that with their continued efforts, we will achieve success in our turnaround initiatives as well as garner more international achievements for our products and services", he added.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Weekend

Cultural medley on display at Sabah Fest

KOTA KINABALU: More than 1,000 people, including several foreign visitors, were treated to a colourful extravaganza at the launch of the Sabah Fest 2006 yesterday.

The more than 300 performers at this unique and anticipated cultural event of the year lived up to the expectations with a stunning performance.

The event was launched at the Magellan Grand Ballroom of Sutera Harbour Resort & Spa by the Head of State Tun Haji Ahmadshah Abdullah last night.

Also present were his wife Toh Puan Masuyah Awang Japar, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and wife Datin Faridah Haji Tussin, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Tan Sri Datuk Chong Kah Kiat and wife Puan Sri Datin Ivy Chong, and the state cabinet ministers.

The event, a medley of Sabah’s cultural identity, its people and their unique practices, was a source of fascination for tourists and locals alike.

The opening performance featured a group of young dancers from six primary schools around Kota Kinabalu who performed Adai-Adai, Sumazau, Daling-Daling and Silat.

It was followed by a story of humankind, which expresses a range of emotions from spiritual worship to earthly desire, performed by a Dusun Lotud troupe.

The Sumayau, a ritual dance, is usually performed during the Rumaha, a ceremony to honour the spirit of skulls. It followed by a Magahau ritual to honour the spirit of sacred jars.

Various dances of Sabah’s tribes, such as Bolak Bolak, a dance by the Bajau people of Semporna and Magunatip, a famous warrior dance, were also performed.

Five districts were involved in the festival this year – Kota Marudu, Beaufort, Tuaran, Semporna and Lahad Datu.

Earlier in the morning, visitors and tourists sampled local delicacies such as local kuih-muih, cakes and traditional foods. Skilled handicraft makers from various ethnic groups demonstrated their craft to audience members.

Traditional woven clothes such as the dastar (Bajau ceremonial head-dress), tinohian (Rungus men’s headgear) and rinangkit were exhibited outside the ballroom.

Daily cultural shows will be held in major shopping complexes in the city and at the State Museum in conjunction with the festival.

Courtesy of New Sabah Times

Labuan could become AirAsia hub

SINGAPORE - Budget airline AirAsia Bhd is mulling turning Labuan into a hub from where it could fly to places such as Macau and Guangzhou in China and the Philippines.

Having Labuan as a hub would allow AirAsia, Asia's biggest low-cost carrier, to tap into markets in Brunei and Sabah, the tourist market as well as provide connectivity for the fast-growing offshore financial centre.

The carrier is actively looking for potential hubs, chief executive officer Tony Fernandes told reporters on the sidelines of a financial seminar about Labuan's international offshore financial centre, Business Times reported.

"It is not imminent, but it is one of the plans. Hopefully, we can get a great deal from the airport," he said.

Labuan is also fast developing as a tourist attraction and airplanes to the island are not just filled with bankers doing business in the offshore financial market.

"People are coming here for tourism. Half the passengers on the plane were coming here for a holiday. They said it was nice, it's peaceful, it has a nice park, it has a beach and things are fairly cheap. It actually amazed me because I never thought of it like that," Fernandes added.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin