Exotic and surprising, Borneo a traveller's mecca

Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak offer much more than orangutans and headhunters

In the increasingly globalized, urbanized mall-world, it’s harder and harder to find a place that’s unique let alone exotic.

The search for something different led me back to Malaysia recently, accompanied by 26 Vancouver Sun readers.

Kuala Lumpur is where we began our trip. But it was Borneo that was the lure for all of us with its history of headhunters, its wealth of indigenous arts and crafts and, of course, its wildlife.

Borneo’s tropical rainforest is so rich in unique species that several new ones were discovered this year.

But it’s orangutans that are the big draw. They are highly endangered and these red-haired great apes are found only in Borneo and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

As few as 600 of them are estimated to remain in the wild in Sabah. So, we went with faint hopes of seeing them in the wild and most of us were content having been able to spend a couple of hours watching them at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan before heading up the Kinabatangan River to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, which was ranked by National Geographic as one of the Top 10 eco-lodges in the world.

Yet, our hopes were rewarded even before we got to the lodge when our sharp-eyed guides spotted a mother and a baby feeding in a ficus tree. The following day, farther upriver, they spotted another mother and baby pairing even closer to the river so that we were able to get a much better look at them.

The birders on the trip spotted at least 56 species of birds from the magnificent Rhinoceros hornbill to different varieties of kingfishers, some sporting yellow bodies with turquoise wings and others with turquoise bodies and red breasts.

The lodge itself is simple, decorated with indigenous carvings and each room named after adventurers and scientists who have come to study the jungle wildlife.

Meals featuring Malaysian cuisine are served in an outdoor pavilion overlooking the river with guests summoned by the striking of a gong. For evening meals, after a day spent on the river or hiking in the jungle, guests are encouraged to wear the sarongs provided for them.

And while the lodge is lovely with all the conveniences including a swimming pool, it’s the guides who make the whole experience so amazing. Where their skills truly shine is in spotting wildlife at night from open-air boats using blue spotlights.

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Borneon tourist package proposed

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei Darussalam should collaborate to reinforce the Borneo brand in promoting their tourism products.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said this on Sunday at the closing ceremony of the Trans Borneo 4wheel Expedition.

“In tourism, we need to work together as a region. Gone are the days where a country may want to market on its own but in this part of the world, I think we need to portray ourselves as Borneo,” said Masidi.

He suggested that Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei could come up with a joint Borneon tourist package to offer travellers with a variety of tourism products.

Such a method is the best and most effective marketing tool to promote tourism in the four Borneon states, said the minister.

Masidi cited the recent partnership between the state government and Royal Brunei Airlines as an example of a successful collaboration.

“Not only were we able to market the two countries effectively but the dividends are far better through such an alliance,” he said.

The minister said that similar cooperation would also expose travellers to the natural wonders found in Borneo, such as the 120 million-year-old rainforest, the world heritage Mount Kinabalu and the world’s tallest tropical tree in Tawau.

“God has given us everything for free. All we need to do is look after it and create facilities to allow access to these kinds of tourism products,” said Masidi.

He also said that Borneo has 668 variety of birds, the largest in a single region. Out of this number, 54 are endemic to Sabah and 14 are endemic to Mount Kinabalu.

Masidi also stated that the turnover for bird watching in the world is about USD2-3 billion. There are 800,000 bird watching societies in Britain and the 10% acquirement of that market is a great potential to the bird watching business in Borneo and the people should capitalize on these kinds of natural gifts, utilizing it fully to generate income, he said.

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Sarawak Tourism Federation wants to collaborate with Kalimantan tourism players

KUCHING: Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) is looking to establish greater collaboration with tourism players in West Kalimantan.

STF president Audry Wan Ullok said such collaboration was vital to achieve their common goal of promoting Borneo as one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide.

“We need to enhance the existing networking between us. We are quite fortunate that many of our members have already established their network with their counterparts here (Pontianak),” she said.

She attended the 1st Borneo Tourism Development Meeting together with Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita) West Kalimantan and Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) West Kalimantan in Pontianak recently.

“Tourism players from both sides agree to meet on a more regular basis to discuss new strategies and, most importantly, exchange views and ideas on how best we can collaborate.

“We want to regard each other as partners rather than competitors. Although it could not be denied that tourism products in Sarawak and West Kalimantan are very similar in nature, it does not mean that tourists who come here will not go to Sarawak or vice-versa if both parties can offer something slightly different,” she said.

She added that this was where a cordial understanding among industry players from both sides play a vital role so they can develop something different which they can packaged together.

“This way they (Indonesian tourism players) can help sell our products and we sell theirs – a kind of collaboration we are trying to work on,” she said.

On the recent familiarisation trip to Pontianak and Singkawang, Audry described it as meaningful and fruitful, and hoped more such visits could be organised from time to time.

During the recent trip, STF delegates, comprising members from various tourism related agencies had the opportunity to meet their counterparts from Pontianak at a table talk.

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Boosting Borneo tourism through trans-boundary cooperation

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will be working with the Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA), Brunei Tourism Board (BTB) and the Sabah Tourism Board to collaborate with the private sector to attract more tourists to the state.

STB chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said both Bandar Seri Begawan and Kota Kinabalu will be secondary hubs to bring in tourists from north Asia, China and Australia.

Presently there are more than 100 weekly direct international flights to Sabah from Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), Clark and Manila (the Philippines), Hong Kong and Shenzhen (China), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kaoshiung and Taipei (Taiwan), Seoul (Korea), Singapore as well as Osaka and Tokyo (Japan).

“The private sector must work with travel agents in the region to bring in more tourists to Sarawak.

“Our role is to provide marketing support to these people,” Rashid told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

He was optimistic that with bigger budget allocation from the government for next year, STB would be able to do more promotions overseas.

“The bigger budget allocation for next year is a big welcome for STB as it will allow us to do more promotion and overseas programmes next year,” enthused Rashid, adding that he could not disclose the actual amount allocated to STB before the budget is approved in the upcoming DUN sitting in November.

President of the Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) Audrey Wan Ullok said its members had done their part by targeting certain markets in the regions to bring in tourists to the state.

“What we are doing is to complement the efforts of STB but we believe that more collaboration in certain areas need to be improved,” stressed Audrey.

STF members comprise travel agents, hoteliers, restaurant operators, tourist guides and car rental agencies.

Former Malaysia BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council chairman Datuk Wee Hong Seng opined that besides better air connectivity, tourism players must also improve their business connectivity with their counterparts from other countries in the region.

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Tourism Traffic From U.S. To Malaysia and Borneo Surges In First Half Of 2012

Despite uncertainties that still plague the U.S. economy and the enormous geographical distance, tourism traffic to Malaysia from the United States surged in the first half of 2012.

According to Tourism Malaysia's New York office, Malaysia received 119,528 arrivals from the U.S. between January and June of 2012, an 18.9 per cent growth over the corresponding period last year.

Indeed, this growth was the third highest amongst the top 10 long-haul markets, after France's 20.6 per cent (68,530 arrivals) and Russia's 28.2 per cent (24,198).

In absolute terms, the United Kingdom is, traditionally, the largest source of traffic amongst the long-haul markets; it provided 196,738 arrivals, posting a 5.9 per cent growth rate.

Juggling with figures, vice-president at the New York office of Tourism Malaysia, Salahuddin Mohd Ariffin, pointed out some characteristics of the American traffic.

"Americans visiting peninsular Malaysia tend to spend over a week in Malaysia and, usually, combine it with another destination, possibly Bali or Thailand.

"But if an American tourist is visiting Borneo, then he will not, usually, combine it with another destination.

"Borneo in itself will consume all his time because of its sheer natural splendour, pristine beaches and wildlife. Americans recognise Borneo as a brand," Salahuddin said in an interview with Bernama in his New York office.

Scuba diving is a favourite past time while vacationing in Borneo. Americans also like to explore city life, try out different cuisines in Borneo, etc.

"Sabah and Sarawak are good selling points because of their unique beauty, wildlife, nature, etc.," Salahuddin said.

He pointed out that the latest figures from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industry (OTTI) of the U.S. Department of Commerce revealed that during the first half of the year, some 2.20 million Americans had visited Asia (mainly India, Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, and the Far East) posting a 9.1 per cent growth while Europe recorded only 5.6 per cent growth in the same period.

With growing trade and business ties between the U.S. and Asean, American travellers will increasingly visit the Asean region, including Malaysia. "The United States is a market inherent with good growth potential," Salahuddin said. But Americans are also demanding about good service in hotels, restaurants, taxis, tourist services, etc.

For Salahuddin, the lack of direct air-connectivity between the east coast and Malaysia does not pose a hindrance because there are a host of airlines that offer convenient connections to Malaysia. Many U.S. visitors take Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, etc. to travel to Malaysia via the respective national hubs of these airlines, he said.

Tourism Malaysia's New York office has been set a target of 235,000 tourist arrivals from the United States by its head office for the year 2012. "We already had 119,528 arrivals from the U.S. during the first six months of the year, exceeding half of the targeted tourist arrivals. We are, so far, happy with the trend," Salahuddin said.

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Sarawak tops in domestic visitor arrivals

KUCHING: Sarawak recorded the highest number of domestic visitor arrivals compared to other states in the country this year.

Minister of Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the number of visitors from Sabah and the peninsula had been increasing every year.

“Sarawak has the highest number of arrivals in terms of domestic visitors. They came here either for leisure or business,” he said following a courtesy call from Borneo Tourism Alliance (BTA), which kicked start its official e-launching of BTA 1st Anniversary Celebrations here yesterday.

Anticipating that domestic visitor arrivals would continue to increase this year, Abang Johari expressed confidence that his ministry’s target of four million visitors (foreign and domestic) for this year was achievable.

Meanwhile, he also called upon the private sector to help propel the Sarawak tourism industry by organising more tourism activities to attract visitors.

“They can organise their events annually and promote them earlier so as to garner awareness from foreign tourists to participate.”

“BTA, an upcoming non-governmental organisation for the regional tourism industry, will be organising its first event ‘Fun Cycling + Plant A Tree + Ai Dilfitri Get Together’ on Aug 26 in conjunction with its first anniversary,” said BTA president Kho Sze Min.

He pointed out that the strategic partnership event jointly organised with the Santubong Homestay Operators will see a target of around 300 international and 200 locals from the cycling fraternity to cycle some 50km along the scenic environment of Santubong.

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Borneo Tourism Alliance to promote Borneo as unique tourism hub

KUCHING: In an effort to promote Borneo as a tourism hub to the world, Borneo Tourism Alliance (BTA) is hosting several events here in Sarawak, hyping on the state’s natural beauty and unique culture.

In a recent interview with The Borneo Post, BTA president Kho Sze Min highlighted the group’s efforts to promote Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan on the global platform for tourism by leveraging on the ‘Borneo’ brand.

As a non-government organisation, the group was launched on Sept 11, 2011 to serve as a bridge between public and private sectors to bring in foreign direct investments particularly for the tourism industry in Borneo, particularly in the state of Sarawak.

“When foreigners take the opportunity to travel to this region, we hope they can come and experience the different cultures that Borneo has to offer,” Kho said during the interview.

“Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Kalimantan have a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty and unique culture. The food we eat; the clothes we wear; the things we do – a lot can be experienced and I believe that tourists would want to come and immerse in these unique opportunities.”

Kho highlighted that with these ventures, BTA also hoped to boost the economy by providing businesses to the local cottage and homestay industries, as well as Sarawakian food and beverage players.

BTA was set up after the Sarawak Economic Transformation Lab organised by the Performance Enhancement and Delivery Unit ( Pemandu), facilitated by Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), supported by Ministry of Tourism Sarawak, Sarawak Tourism Board, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation and Tourism Malaysia.

Particularly, BTA works closely with Miti and its agencies to enrich and to bring development to both urban and rural community as well as to promote sustainable tourism in the wake of global warming.

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