RM5.178 bln from Sabah tourism in 2012

KOTA KINABALU: The lucrative tourism industry continues to be one of Sabah’s major income earners as Sabah increased its target arrivals by 1.1 per cent totaling 2.875 million visitors compared to 2011.

This was an estimated RM5.178 billion revenue earned, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment reported yesterday.

“The industry has proven to be resilient, rising from turbulent times and gaining strength from adversity from the beginning of 2012 with challenges faced especially on flight uncertainty,” said its minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun.

International arrivals recorded an overall positive growth of 11.3 per cent with double digit growth from China and Hong Kong (44.3%) and South Korea (26.1%).

European arrivals especially from the United Kingdom and Ireland (growth of 39.9%) were also making a comeback to Sabah, indicating confidence in long-haul travelling and strong focus on nature-based tourism, Sabah’s stronghold in the industry.

Domestic tourism remained as the main contributor making 67% of the total arrivals or 1.933 million to Sabah in 2012.

However, this was a decrease of 3.2% compared to 2011 mainly due to a reduction in total domestic seat capacity from both Sarawak and the peninsula.

“For the first time in fourteen years domestic arrivals were affected due to less competitive airfares offered to the domestic outbound market as well as opening of new routes by low cost carriers to other regional destination. This year we continue to keep our partners, the airlines, close to support our destination as 96% of our arrivals come by air,” said Masidi.

Continue reading at: RM5.178 bln from Sabah tourism in 2012
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Mangrove Discovery Centre a plus for nature tourism in Sabah

SANDAKAN: The newly-upgraded Mangrove Discovery Centre in Sepilok Laut, near here is slated to become another tourism attraction for Sabah, specifically the east coast town of Sandakan.

The centre, upgraded and completed on Jan 12 at a cost of RM1.04 million, is located 5.5 kilometres away via a jungle trail from the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the centre aims to provide a unique and magnificent experience to visitors who will get to experience a natural mangrove habitat.

“A 700-metre Belian wood boardwalk connects the existing information centre to a camping site. Other facilities include resting areas, bridges and a multipurpose tower.

“The department plays an important role in operating and maintaining this centre, which is also in line with the Sustainable Forest Management principles,” he said in a statement issued here yesterday.

He said Tourism Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Hong Beng and officers from the ministry’s development division recently visited various attractions in Sandakan, including the centre.

Continue reading at: Mangrove Discovery Centre a plus for nature tourism in Sabah

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A boost for Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre

6.5m ringgit expansion opens door to better understanding of Sabah forests

Last year 40,000 people visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre at the Sepilok forest reserve in Sandakan since it opened in 2007.

Covering 200 hectares, it has long and winding trails that allow visitors to discover some of the rare species of gigantic tropical trees that may be about 1,300 years old, birds such as the hornbills, the endangered orang-utans and other wildlife.

It is indeed an educational and tourist attraction. And this year the centre has won Sabah’s best nature tourism award.

Sam Mannan, the director of Sabah Forestry Department, has announced a 6.5m-ringgit ($2m) expansion that he says will boost its “standing as a top environment education facility.” There will be a car park, an outdoor stage and the 300m canopy walk will be extended by 80 metres by November next year.

A 120-seat theatre was added to the centre early this year. And the Borneo bird festival was held there in October.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: A boost for Sandakan Rainforest Discovery Centre

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Sandakan's fortunes in eco-tourism

Sandakan: Batu Sapi MP, Edmund Chong Ket Wah, said nature tourism was the way forward for the district. "It will definitely enhance Sandakan's economy with the influx of tourists from all over the world.

"The Sandakan Rainforest Park is an additional attraction which is not only unique but it is conveniently located within the town area," he said when launching the Sandakan Rainforest Park book, Thursday.

He said with such strong history and scientific values as written and illustrated in the book, the Sandakan Rainforest Park, also known as Kebun Cina Forest Reserve, deserved to be conserved and promoted as an eco-tourist destination.

"That is why I believe the State Government gazetted this forest as an Amenity Forest Reserve in January 2007," Chong said.

"The core area of this park is still in pristine condition. Many lowland species of flora and fauna of Borneo are found in this forest.

"It is a good example of a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah, with about 34 dipterocarp species, some with spectacular size.

"There are also four species of the carnivorous pitcher plants, scientifically known as Nepenthes, or sometimes known as the monkey cup and this fascinates people," he said.

Apart from that, Chong said there were also other interesting plants such as the Karamunting, an evergreen, ornamental shrub, after which the Karamunting area here was named.

Continue reading at: Sandakan's fortunes in eco-tourism
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Sabah’s Lost World - A land lost in time

IN 1947, a World War II British pilot was heading towards Tawau when he flew over what he thought was a mist-shrouded jungle. But as the cloud dissipated, he found himself encircled by a wall of steep cliffs rising 915m above the jungle floor.

This serendipitous discovery was reported in the Borneo Bulletin in 1953.

However, it failed to generate much interest.

Surrounded on all sides by wickedly steep and forbidding slopes, Sabah’s Lost World covering an area slightly bigger than Singapore is unreachable by foot from almost all directions.

The only way in is at the point where the Maliau River - the only one flowing through the area - exits the basin. But even this is guarded by a series of impressive waterfalls and gorges.

Inaccessibility has led to its natural secrets being hidden from mankind for millions of years.

Earlier attempts to scale down the escarpment in 1960, 1976 and 1980 failed, and the explorations were confined to its perimeters.

In 1981, a survey party from Sabah Foundation landed in a helicopter and managed to cut a trail which enabled a 43-member expedition to spend three weeks in the Maliau Basin in 1988.

The expedition opened a Pandora’s Box of surprises, unveiling the mystery and beauty of a world untouched by the passage of time; where nature and wildlife coexist in perfect harmony, tucked in what seemed to be the very edge of the world: A Jurassic Park sans dinosaurs.

Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Sabah’s Lost World - A land lost in time
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Call to protect, conserve Sarawak's pitcher plants

KUCHING: According to Research Manager of Sarawak Forestry Corporation at Forest Research Centre, Julaihi Abdullah, pitcher plants or nepenthes must be protected and conserved.

He said that this would be his working paper presentation with another Sarawak Forestry Corporation researcher, Bibian Michael Diway at the coming 15th Malaysia Forestry Conference to be held here from October 20 to 24.

He said that the reason was that the floriculture industry in Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds. Many species of plants including orchids and pitcher plants of Sarawak are in high demand from plant lovers in the world.

He added that as a result of the surge in interest from overseas and locals in the past decade, the demand for pitcher plants has become so great that some species in the wild are now in grave danger of extinction.

“The major threats to wild pitcher plants are their removal by collectors and habitat destruction. As such these plants need to be conserved urgently,” he stressed.

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Call to protect, conserve Sarawak's pitcher plants

Ezo Zone: Kubah National Park's cool!

JESSICA Alba may not know this but she brought sexy back to Kubah National Park with her 2003 film, Sleeping Dictionary.

The story, about a young, idealistic colonial officer posted to Britain’s deep-jungle Sarawak outpost in 1939 and his forbidden love with sexy, local tutor (Alba), was filmed around the area and managed to paint a lush picture of Borneo – the kind that has since lured many tourists to the island.

Naturally one would think that even the locals would make a mad dash to the park, following in the footsteps of the Hollywood celeb. After all, look at what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand tourism.

Sadly, that was not to happen with Kubah. Since the film’s release and the gazetting of the park in 1988, Kubah remains Sarawak’s least known national park although it is the most easily accessible from Kuching – just a 20-minute leisurely drive through the town’s many famously huge roundabouts that dot the urban landscape.

Glamorous Camp

But for guests like myself, few tourists only means good news. Like having the waterfall all to yourself – yes, the same one that gave the film that stunning backdrop in its publicity gig. Or getting the park rangers accompany you on the many trails, drinking in the scenery and sharing in the forest knowledge from those that know the area well.

Still, it can be a bit unnerving camping on the park’s 2,230-hectare ground with just you and the photographer... and perhaps a handful of park rangers on night duty.

Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Ezo Zone: Kubah National Park's cool!

Sabah: Land where exotic orchids thrive

WOW! This is the most common reaction heard as visitors make their way through the Borneo Orchid Society of Sabah’s (BOSS) annual exhibition.

The event usually held in May is a showcase of the state’s diverse native orchid species, with their myriad of shapes, colours and sizes.

There are about 1,500 species of orchids in Borneo and two-thirds are from Sabah. And of 1,000 native Sabah species, 86% are in Kinabalu Park.

Despite this diversity, Sabah ironically remains a net importer of cut orchid flowers with florists and hotels displaying blooms that were likely to have originated from the peninsula.

Continue reading (incl. pics) at: Sabah: Land where exotic orchids thrive

Nature conservation top priority for Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Nature conservation remains Sabah’s highest priority and the state is therefore receptive to any initiative that garner well for the environment said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun.

“With sustainable forest management in Sabah and the Deramakot Forest Reserve as an exemplary model, I strongly believe that we are heading towards the right direction in nature conservation,” he said.

More than half of the land mass in Sabah is still forested and these areas are extremely rich with flora and fauna, some of which are indigenous to the state.

“Because of such high biodiversity, the state is well-known as nature’s gateway to Borneo,” he said.

However, Masidi stressed that conservation efforts must be pragmatic and realistic in order to benefit all and not threaten the state’s development agenda.

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Sarawak keen to have park guide training, licensing system

MULU: The State Government is committed to develop its park guide training and licensing system accordingly to world standard in effort to position Sarawak among the best eco-tourism destination on the world map of nature-based tourism industry.

To make this aspiration a reality, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud stressed the need for Sarawak to have more professionals and certified park guides in the national park ornature reserve guiding services.

Speaking at Park Guide Training and Licensing System for Sarawak National Parks and Nature Reserves at Gunung Mulu National Park yesterday, Taib pointed out that totally protected areas were managed not only for the preservation of biodiversity but also for recreational use.

In fact, Sarawak's thrust on eco-tourism was also in line with the global trend towards nature-based tourism as opposed to mainstream mass tourism.

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Call to tap local Sarawak tourism potentials

MIRI— Tourism entrepreneurs especially the Bumiputera are urged to tap the full potential of Sarawak's eco-tourism and cultural diversity to position the State aggressively with Cultural, Adventure and Nature (CAN) tagline which is different from the tourism concept in the world market.

In fact, most of these nature wonders in the State are located in rural areas.

Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management, Dato Sri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, would like the Bumiputera in the rural areas to make their surrounding nature wonders and the uniqueness of cultural diversity into a comprehensive strategy to promote the precious asset in an aggressive manner.

"Nature-based tourism is not new to Sarawak because all this while the tourism players via the State government makes every effort to develop the potential. This is in line with the State government’s aspiration in making the tourism as one of the major sources of income to boost the State's economy," he said in his address when officiating at Kedayan HomeStay at Bungai Bekenu yesterday.

Continue reading at: Call to tap local Sarawak tourism potentials