Kho (second right) with (from left) Sim, Wong, Marc Cosyns and Fong after the interview session.
MIRI: A tourism package will be introduced by Asia Tourism Alliance (ATA) next year, focusing on attracting more tourists from Japan to visit Sarawak, especially to this city.
According to ATA president and chief executive officer Kho Sze Min, the package would include a direct flight from Hokkaido, Japan, to the state via this city.
“Sarawak remains among the top new destinations for Japanese tourists. Although Miri is engaged in the oil and gas industry, it is not a new thing for the Japanese. In terms of culture, Sarawak is a good destination for tourists,” he told thesundaypost during a special interview at Marriott Resort & Spa here recently.
Kho said ATA would collaborate with the tour agency in Japan, Golden Adventure Tour & Travel Services Sdn Bhd and Transworld Travel Services Sdn Bhd (TWT) on flight arrangements, while Miri Marriott Resort & Spa and Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa would be engaged for the accommodation packages.
Adding on, he said the ATA tourism package would introduce and promote the CNV (Culture, Nature and Venture) concept.
“We are confident that this package would receive an encouraging response from the Japanese tourists as they always like anything new and different,” he said, adding that the impact from the newly-introduced package would also benefit Brunei.
Meanwhile, Kho said ATA planned for a five-day, four-night package for the Hokkaido-Miri offering, beginning Dec 30 this year to Jan 3 next year, which would include trips to Miri and Mulu as well as to the main destination, Mount Mulu National Park.
A chartered direct flight from Hokkaido to Sarawak via Miri would be arranged for the smooth implementation of the package, he added.
“To make it more worthwhile, we would be bringing tourists from Malaysia, including those from Sarawak, directly to Hokkaido via Miri.”
According to Kho, Hokkaido is not a foreign destination for many Malaysians who love Japan. The island, which is located in the northern part of Japan, is famous for its seafood and moreover, it also offers tourists the four-season experience — spring, summer, autumn and winter.
“In winter, we will have a number of special packages, namely ‘Winter Love in Hokkaido’, ‘Snow White Hokkaido’ and ‘Hokkaido Ice Breaking’,” Kho said.
He said Hokkaido had recovered from the tsunami disaster and at the moment, it was building back its tourism offerings.
“The tourism agency here has helped and contributed a lot to the development of tourism in Hokkaido.
“Therefore, it is time now for the people in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ to shift their direction to Malaysia, especially Sarawak — a new market for Japan’s tourism industry,” he said.
For more information, logon to www.ata.my / www.tabigo.asia.
Miri Marriott Resort & Spa general manager Marc Cosyns, Miri Marriott Resort & Spa / Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa cluster director of sales and marketing Alice Fong Ai Lee, TWT executive chairman Albert Sim Yam Leong and Golden Adventure Tours & Travel managing director Wong Kwok Bin were also present at the interview session.