Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is taking steps to mitigate the impact of rising air transport costs and global uncertainties on Sabah’s tourism industry, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
He said global conflicts and increasing airfares could directly affect the State’s tourism sector, which relies heavily on international arrivals and air connectivity.
“Among the implications identified are higher airfares due to increased fuel costs, changes in flight routes or reduced flight frequency, declining travel sentiment from key markets, and the cancellation or postponement of travel plans,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the State Legislative Assembly sitting on Monday.
He was responding to a question by Sri Tanjong Assemblyman Justin Wong.
Jafry said the Ministry’s main focus is to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the State’s tourism supply chain by easing pressures faced by industry players.
“In this regard, the Ministry through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is planning targeted support and incentives, as well as intensifying strategic marketing efforts to sustain demand and air connectivity to Sabah during this challenging period.”
He said one of the key strategies is to strengthen domestic and regional markets to mitigate uncertainties in long-haul travel.
“Focus is being given to the domestic market by intensifying local tourism campaigns to maintain industry stability in the event of a decline in international tourist arrivals,” he said.
Jafry added that the Ministry is also enhancing efforts in North Asian and Southeast Asian markets, including China, South Korea and Japan, which are less directly affected by global airspace disruptions.
“In addition, Sabah is being promoted as a premium tourism destination to attract high-value visitors with greater spending power who are less affected by rising travel costs,” he said.
He said the STB held engagement sessions with industry players, including tourism associations, airlines and accommodation operators, on March 19 and 31.
“These sessions were aimed at obtaining feedback from industry players and aligning strategies to strengthen the resilience of the State’s tourism sector in facing rising cost pressures due to unforeseen circumstances,” he said.
Jafry said another special engagement session was scheduled on April 24 to discuss diesel supply issues faced by tourism operators.
Responding to a supplementary question by Wong on concerns over rising operational costs, particularly fuel expenses, Jafry acknowledged the issue and said the Ministry is working to address it.
“I am aware of the problems faced by industry players and it is indeed part of our plans to take action, but for now the Ministry is working to gather data to submit to the Federal Government in terms of subsidies and related support.
“We need complete data from industry players to bring this matter to the Federal level as it involves not only this Ministry but also several others to ensure that tourism industry players can be assisted,” he said.
He said the Ministry remains committed to ensuring the local tourism industry remains resilient and sustainable while continuing to support industry players in contributing to Sabah’s overall economic growth.
