KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is seeking Putrajaya’s help to fast-track the vaccination of tourism staff in the state.
State Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, in making the call, said the number of such staff immunised against Covid-19 is still very low in the state.
“It has been brought to our attention that the number of vaccinated tourism workers and frontliners is still very low, and this could hamper the safe reopening of the tourism industry in Sabah.
“Once tourism workers are vaccinated, it will enhance interstate travel,” he said in a statement today.
The list of tourism workers to be vaccinated should include boatmen, divers, rafting guides, hotel personnel, tour operators, tour bus drivers and rural tourism staff.
Tourism is currently the sole sector in the country that hires mostly locals.
The Kiulu assemblyman said a meeting between the federal government, Sabah Tourism Board and tourism players has yielded a number of suggestions for the safe reopening of domestic tourism.
Aside from complying with health protocols and standard operating procedures, it was proposed that the sector consider getting an external green tourism certification and Covid-19 insurance policy, as the Sabah Tourism Recovery Committee is expected to meet next week to deliberate and revisit the roadmap drawn up in the first meeting last year.
“Once the pandemic is under control, the committee will embark into more aggressive marketing and promotions to tap into the business and leisure travel segments,” said Joniston.
The committee will also support high-impact events like the national Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents fair in Kuala Lumpur on November 20 – in which Sabah is featured as the preferred domestic destination for Malaysia – and the two-week Sabah Association of Travel and Tour Agents’ Virtual Tourism Mart from September 16.
Joniston also called on the federal government to include Kota Kinabalu in the country’s travel bubble pilot project, which now has only Pulau Pangkor; Pulau Langkawi in Kedah; Fraser’s Hill in Pahang; and, Kuching in Sarawak. – The Vibes, July 27, 2021
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