KOTA KINABALU – The arrival of a cruise ship named the Seabourn Encore at Sabah Port here today marks the lucrative cruise tourism’s return to the state after a prolonged absence of nearly three years following the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020.
The luxury cruise liner entered state waters this morning carrying about 1,000 passengers and crew members after having stopped at Boracay in the Philippines previously.
This is the first cruise ship to berth in Sabah since the last arrival in 2020 when international borders and tourism became restricted.
A total of 21 cruise ships had sojourned in Sabah in 2018, bringing in a total of 21,738 passengers, while 17 cruise ships with 23,474 passengers had stopped in the state in 2017.
The passengers, who will be spending the night in Kota Kinabalu, were welcomed today by the Sabah Tourism Board (STB).
The Seabourn Encore is set to sail to its home port of Singapore at 6pm tomorrow.
Measuring 210m in length and housing a total of 300 suites, the Seabourn Encore was completed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for Seabourn Cruise Line, which is headquartered in Seattle, in 2016.
STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman said the resumption of the cruise tourism industry is an encouraging sign that Sabah remains a popular destination for cruisers.
STB expects eight cruise ships to come later this year, and Sabah can expect to see an increase in the number of tourists visiting the state.
“The return of cruise ship tourism can help to promote Sabah as a tourist destination to a broader audience, allowing visitors on board to explore the city and nearby attractions.
“Cruise ships typically visit multiple destinations on a single itinerary, and the exposure that Sabah gets as part of this itinerary can encourage tourists to consider Sabah a standalone holiday destination,” she said.
Noredah stressed the importance of cruise tourism as it can bring in tens of thousands of visitors to Sabah. – The Vibes, February 15, 2023
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