Sabah on track to revitalise marine tourism industry
Published on: Friday, May 27, 2022
One of the many rich dive sites in Sabah.
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is on track to revitalise the State’s marine tourism industry by promoting its abundant dive sites to the rest of the world.In this effort, the Sabah Tourism Board team, along with several key players, is taking part in the three-day Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
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The much-anticipated scuba diving exhibition, which begins on May 27, will also see former Malaysian tourism ambassador for diving and a pioneer of the dive industry in Sabah, Clement Lee, presenting talks on ‘Sabah Underwater Uncapped’ on May 28.
The presentation, among others, is expected to highlight the many rich dive sites, including the Blue Ring Reef and shipwreck dives in Lahad Datu.
As one of the world’s fastest-growing recreational sports, Sabah Tourism Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Noredah Othman (pic) said scuba diving contributed to Sabah’s good growth in tourism over the years, with international divers visiting the state to explore its underwater.
“We observed the growth of estimated dive revenues before the pandemic, where it climbed from RM799.8 million in 2018 to RM821 million the following year.
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“This trend reflects the increase in number of guest arrivals to dive sites in Sabah, which saw 133,921 arrivals in 2018, and 137,749 arrivals in 2019, respectively,” she said.
The 2018 figure was 127,551 international arrivals and 6,370 domestic arrivals, whereas the 2019 statistic was 130,604 foreign arrivals and 7,145 domestic arrivals.
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According to Sabah Tourism 2019 data, China (including Hong Kong) has the most international visitors to Sabah’s dive sites, with 99,714 arrivals.
This was followed by Taiwan (1,561); the United States (766); the United Kingdom and Ireland (595); and Singapore (506).
“Sabah is not just about mountains and culture but also a premier scuba diving destination, where some of the best diving spots in the world can be explored in the state.
“It is encouraging to see the 11 per cent growth of the domestic in 2019, implying that awareness and interest in diving in Sabah has increased. We, therefore, encourage Malaysians to explore this activity to equally understand why our dive sites are sought after by travellers,” Noredah said.
Despite losing special interest tourists during the pandemic, Noredah was optimistic that the diving industry would bounce back and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to showcasing the beauty of Sabah from the mountain top to the deep blue sea while encouraging tourism players to do the same.
The Sabah Tourism Board team will be joined by GTS Travel Sdn Bhd and Borneo Divers Sdn Bhd to promote the State’s underwater splendour at MIDE.
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