George meeting Joniston, Lai and Julinus at the WTM in London.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s campaign to promote its Culture, Adventure, and Nature (CAN) attractions is gaining traction in the United Kingdom, said Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
He said that interest in Sabah’s experiential tourism offerings was evident from the numerous inquiries at the recently concluded World Travel Mart (WTM) in London.
“Sabah tourism players who attended WTM received numerous meeting requests from the UK and travel companies from other countries interested in learning more about the state’s CAN experiences and packages,” he said in an interview with WTM TV.
During the interview, Joniston highlighted the importance of a recently signed memorandum of cooperation between the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Intrepid Travel UK in advancing the CAN campaign.
He said the diversity of Sabah’s cultural and natural beauty will continue to elevate indigenous community-based tourism in rural areas to greater heights.
“The partnership with Intrepid UK would offer exciting opportunities to help boost global awareness of Sabah as a prime destination for sustainable, community-based tourism,” he added.
While at the WTM, held from November 5 to November 7, Joniston, who is also STB Chairman, met with Sir George Jessel and Tim Appleton, founder of the Rutland Global Bird Fair, to follow up on proposed collaborative initiatives.
George, a descendant of Sir Charles Jessel – after whom Sabah’s capital, Jesselton, was named during the North Borneo Chartered Company era – had suggested establishing a Jesselton Gallery in Kota Kinabalu following a visit to Sabah earlier this year.
The follow-up meeting, which was also attended by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai and STB CEO Julinus Jeffrey Jimit explored the potential of such a gallery as a new tourism attraction for Sabah.
The discussion with Appleton focused on formalising a memorandum of cooperation between STB and the Rutland Global Bird Fair to promote birding tourism in Sabah.
Appleton, who recently visited Sabah to attend the Borneo Bird Festival in Sepilok, Sandakan and experienced the state’s diverse wildlife, expressed enthusiasm about Sabah’s potential as a premier wildlife and birding destination.
George and Appleton also commended Sabah Tourism’s continuous participation in the WTM, noting that this commitment will go a long way in promoting Sabah as a unique destination.
Joniston said the parties concerned are determined to make the proposed initiatives a reality and would continue to hold further discussions.
