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(From left to right): Lim and Willie speaking to the media
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3rd September, 2010
KOTA KINABALU: The making of Kota Kinabalu as the eastern hub of Malaysia Airlines is a great boost to the hotel industry in the state capital in particular and Sabah in general.
Speaking after the breaking of fast with reporters, Thomas More Willie, General Manager of Beverly Hotel, said, “With Malaysia Airlines making Kota Kinabalu as the second hub, we have flights between Kota Kinabalu and Tokyo three times weekly and four times from South Korea.”
Besides Malaysia Airlines, Korean Airlines, Asiana and Eastern Jet also operate and land at the KKIA.
Leveraging on Kota Kinabalu’s strategic location as an ideal gateway to promote travels to and from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia, Malaysia Airlines has picked Kota Kinabalu as its second national hub, after the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
For the first quarter of 2010, Beverly Hotel experienced slower growth than the corresponding period of last year. This was due to the oversupply of (hotel) rooms and the deferment of in-house seminars of government bodies.
“The extension of the KKIA runaway has affected the chartered flights as the airport is closed to air traffic from 12.00 midnight to 6.00am,” Willie said, explaining that chartered flights normally land late at night. “That’s why the fares are cheaper.”
However, with increased in regular flights, the oversupply of room situation has eased.
Business had picked up in the second quarter, said Willie, as more government in-house seminars were held, and the higher frequency of regular flights had offset the loss of chartered flights.
The cancellation of the chartered flights is temporary until the completion of the runaway extension. This sector contributed about 10 per cent of the tourist arrivals in Sabah.
Direct flights to Perth are on the cards by Malaysia Airlines when its new wide-bodied B737-800 aircraft is stationed at the KKIA.
“We will see more Western Australian tourists when the direct flight takes effect,” Willie added, explaining that good market mix is important.
Datuk Peter Lim, CEO of Sabah Development Bank, who is also a director of Beverly Hotel informed reporters that RM3 million was set aside for the hotel’s facelift.
“The refurbishment exercise was supposed to commence two months ago. Due to the (South China Sea Place) construction next door and unpredictable weather, it could not take off,” said Lim.
Beverly Hotel is now owned by Sabah Development Bank which is a GLC to turn around the hotel.
The hotel wants to capture a slice of the leisure market to improve its market mix as the bulk of its business is from the government and the private sector.
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