KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- The Conference on Tourism Potential in Sabah and Sarawak organised by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) on 18 June 2019 at the MIDA headquarters received an encouraging response with over 80 participants from the Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO), Malaysian Association of Amusement Themepark and Family Attractions (MAATFA), hoteliers, tourist attraction operators, business chambers among others.
This inaugural event was an effort with the cooperation of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah (KePKAS), Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak (MTACYS), Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), MAHO and MAATFA.
Madam Catherine Ridu, Senior Director of the Services Sector Development Division at Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), during her welcoming remarks said “With the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, Malaysia hopes to target 30 million international tourists and RM100 billion tourist receipts. There are many exciting opportunities for our domestic tourism stakeholders, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak, to support this landmark campaign. Therefore, it is crucial for us to strategically position our domestic tourism industry and maximise its capacity to propel the country’s economic transformation.”
In 2018, the services sector continued to be the cornerstone of the nation’s economic growth, contributing a total approved investment of RM103.4 billion or 51.3% of the total approved investments for the year. Of this amount, the 63 hotel and tourism projects approved with investments of RM4.6 billion last year projected creation of almost 4,000 new jobs.
This conference focused on ensuring that the domestic tourism industry players were well informed about the hospitality ecosystems in Malaysia and to encourage new investments into Sabah and Sarawak. As such, it featured presentations by the Healthcare, Education and Hospitality Division of MIDA, MOTAC and MIMOS Berhad, several panel discussions and one-to-one networking session between the participants and MIDA, MOTAC, KePKAS, MTACYS, SEDIA, MyCEB, MAHO and MAATFA.
Mr. Ahmad Khairuddin Abdul Rahim, Senior Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Development, MIDA echoed the message of Madam Catherine Ridu for domestic players to be attuned to gaps and opportunities present in the market and further elaborated saying “MIDA has been looking beyond the common understanding of tourism as being limited to vacation activities only. We have been actively pursuing investments and development in niche tourism areas such as ecotourism, halal tourism and cultural tourism. Some exciting international sports tourism events scheduled in 2019, namely the TMBT Ultra Trail Marathon and Borneo International Yachting Challenge, is set to attract more tourists arrivals into Sabah and Sarawak.”
In preparation for Visit Malaysia 2020, MIDA hopes that this event will promote more investments and initiatives in the hotel and tourism industry in Sabah and Sarawak to ensure the growth and sustainability of the domestic tourism industry. Additionally, MIDA will continue to organise similar series of engagements to further promote the growth of local hospitality industry.
ABOUT MIDAMIDA is the government's principal promotion agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Starting operations in 1967 with a relatively small set up of 37 staff, MIDA has grown to become an active and dynamic organisation of over 700 employees. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA today has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Photos of the events can be found at the below links:
Photo 1: Opening Remarks by Madam Catherine Ridu, Senior Director of the Services Sector Development Division at Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI),
https://bit.ly/31EIYfRPhoto 2: Welcoming Remarks by Mr. Ahmad Khairuddin Abdul Rahim, Senior Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Development at Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
https://bit.ly/2IpYJQlPhoto 3: Group Photo of Panelist
From left: Madam Manjit Kaur Balkar Singh, Director, Healthcare, Education and Hospitality Division, MIDA; Madam Sharzede Datu Hj. Salleh Askor, CEO Sarawak Tourism Board; Mr. Ng Kwang Ming, Senior Director, Corporate Technology, MIMOS Berhad; Mr. Mohd Daud bin Mohd Arif, Undersecretary, Tourism Policy and International Affairs Division, MOTAC; Adjunct Prof. Mr Anthony Wong Kim Hooi, Secretary, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO); Madam Catherine Ridu, Senior Director, Services Sector Development, MITI; Mr. Ahmad Khairuddin A.Rahim, Senior Executive Director, Strategic Planning & Development (Manufacturing & Services), MIDA; Madam Roeslina Abbas, Executive Director, Services Development, MIDA; Mr. Hii Chang Kee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak (MTACYS); Madam Noredah Othman, Acting General Manager, Sabah Tourism Board; Mr. Suriya Charles Buas, Director, Motac Sarawak Office.
https://bit.ly/2MQrOIOSource: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Ms Manjit Kaur Balkar Singh
Director, Healthcare, Education and Hospitality Division, MIDA
Tel: 03- 2267 3509
Email: manjit@mida.gov.my
--BERNAMA 
