Cutting the ribbon to launch the hotel are (from left) Jacques, Vivian, Kenneth, Gerard, Masidi, Au Kam Wah and James Wong.
SANDAKAN: Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is capable of promoting tourism overseas due to rapport established with host countries during past promotions.
Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, the Minister of Tourism and Environment, said STB had established good rapport with host countries in overseas sales and promotion assignments and as such it had no problem in promoting the state on its own.
He said the Ministry of Tourism, both at state and federal levels, were responsible in carrying out their duties in promoting tourism in the country, and there should be collaboration in this matter.
“It is the responsibility of the Federal Tourism Ministry to promote Sabah as a tourism destination, after all we are a part of Malaysia,” he said adding that Sabah contributed income to the federal government and as such they also should do their part to promote Sabah.
Concurring that the federal ministry has to promote other states in Malaysia, he said it was not an easy task.
“Therefore, STB as an entity can promote its tourism product on its own.”
Speaking to reporters after the launching of Ibis Styles Sandakan Waterfront, he said tourism players and his ministry had the same objectives in promoting tourism and as such there should be collaborations between them.
“We are a tourism team, with our main aim being to promote and prosper the tourism industry in the state,” he said.
“Everybody in the government should work together to ensure that tourism recover from what has happened in Sabah,” he said, adding that sensationalising stories should be avoided as this could compromise tourists’ confidence in Sabah.
According to him, there were disputes about the level of safety in the east coast of Sabah but he believed the security forces are capable of ensuring the security of this area.
“The recent Malaysian budget allocated for security is mostly to upgrade the security system in the east coast of Sabah. I therefore believe that we should have faith in the capability of our security forces in taking care of our coastline,” he said.
He stressed that the curfew in this area also enhanced the safety in the sea in the east coast of the state but Sandakan town is not affected as it is five miles off the coastline.
“This ensures that investors in this area will be safe, and build their confidence in the viability of investing here,” he said.
On Ibis Styles Sandakan Waterfront, he said the investment from Accor, the France-based leading hotel operator in this part of the state, was commendable and augured well for the tourism industry here.
He stressed that the tremendous investment by the international chain of hotel operators showed that they had confidence in the tourism products here.
He said this would also benefit this area tremendously as a tourism destination as it would be linked to an international entity.
Masidi later witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ibis, represented by its general manager Vivian Chu and the deputy director of Sabah Wildlife Department Augustine Tuuga.
The MoU entails collaboration between the two establishments in promoting tourism and conservation efforts.
Also present during the event were state assemblyman for Sekong Datuk Samsudin Yahya; Elopura assemblyman Datuk Au Kam Wah; president of Sabah Municipal Council Datuk James Wong; managing director of Sara –Timur Group Kenneth Tiong; general manager of Novotel Kota Kinabalu Jacques Leizerovici and Gerald Guillouet, Novotel chief operating officer (Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore).