SPORT TOURISM HAS GREAT POTENTIAL AS REVENUE EARNER FOR SABAH

KOTA KINABALU: Sport Tourism can play a vital role in the growth of the tourism industry in Sabah. For example, the golf tourism, which is popular with the North Asian market, particularly Korean and Japanese, has shown great potential as a revenue earner for Sabah, said Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.

Musa, who was represented by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun, at the official opening of the 1st Commonwealth Sport Tourism Conference yesterday, said that the steady increase in revenue from golf tourism indicates that Sabah is one of the popular destinations among foreign golfers.

The event was launched by the Head of State, Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah Abdullah and was witnessed also by Tourism Minister, Dato Sri Azalina Dato Othman Said.

Last year, more than 46,000 golf rounds or 20 percent of the total golf rounds in Sabah was played by international golfers. Sabah also hosted the 2008 Asian Tour Qualifying School with over 500 professional golfers from 25 countries participating.

One of Sabah’s most successful sport tourism events is the Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon, dubbed the ‘World’s Toughest Mountain Race’ and currently into its 22nd year, he said. “In 1999, the Climbathon received a major boost when Malaysia won its bid to host the World Mountain Running Trophy at the scenic Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site,” he said.

And in 2005, the Climbathon was endorsed as one of the seven official races of the Federation of Sport at Altitude for Skyrunning World Championship circuit. “We consider the current status of the Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon, now very popular among European mountain runners, a notable achievement as it started as a mountain race in 1987 when Sabah Parks decided to scout for people to be in the rapid rescue squad,” he said.

But aside from golfers and mountain runners, Sabah also attracted more than 25,000 international divers who were in the State to explore the marine beauty of Sabah’s islands such as Sipadan, which lies in the centre of the richest marine habitat in the world; Kapalai, Mabul, Lankayan and Layang-Layang. Sabah also obtained the rights to organise and host the exclusive F2 World Cup Powerboat Race series – the most prestigious series for powerboat racing in the F2 category.

At this juncture, Musa then urged the private sector to help the State to develop sport tourism such as the construction of the Mountain Torq Via Ferrata on Mt. Kinabalu, Southest Asia’s highest summit which rises more than 4,000 meters.

At an altitude of 3,800 metres, the Mountain Torq via Ferrata on Mt. Kinabalu is considered the world’s highest and Asia’s first. “This long climbing route with steel rungs and permanently fixed cables to keep climbing moderately difficult will enable people of all ages to enjoy climbing Mt. Kinabalu’s rock faces. On this route, ordinary climbers can now have access to scenic sections of the summit normally accessible only to rock climbers and mountaineers,” he said.

He added that last year, over 40,000 people climbed Mt. Kinabalu and that he was confident that the Mountain Torq Via Ferrata, which opened in December 2007, will help to develop Mt Kinabalu into a mountaineering centre for Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, a total of 2.48 million visitors arrived to Sabah, last year.

Musa said that 40 percent of the tourist arrivals were repeat visitors with average length of stay of eight nights, nine days for international tourists. “We reaped over RM4.7 billion in tourism receipts, surpassing the RM3.2 billion estimated for 2007 and accounting for 14.8 per cent of the State’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP),” he said.

He added that the growth in tourist arrivals per annum is projected to be above 20 per cent in the next five years. “Our projection for 2010 is 3.4 million tourist arrivals with tourism receipts exceeding RM6.5 billion… the Sabah Tourism Board‘s target is to achieve one percent of the US$2,000 billion world tourism receipts by 2020,” he said.

Musa also said that in the light of this impressive growth in tourism, and in view of the fact that Sabah has great potential to be a world-class tourist destination given its abundance natural attractions, our target is to make tourism the state’s main economic driver. “We want to move into a higher league of competitor destinations. Our focus is on sustainable tourism development, with high yield longer-staying tourists,” he said.

Towards this end, the State Government has already taken pro-active steps to boost Sabah’s tourism capabilities such as implementing their comprehensive long-term plans for hotel accommodation and for the training and skills-upgrading of tourism personnel.

“We are already in discussion with renowned signature resorts to anchor new tourism products such as spa and wellness tourism in Kundasang and marine tourism on the islands,” he said.