KOTA KINABALU – The exorbitant fees charged by Malaysian carriers for travel over the Hari Raya Aidilfitri season may end up disrupting recovery of Sabah’s tourism industry, a state minister said today.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said they are concerned that they may fall short of the target of bringing in 1.3 million tourists this year if high ticket prices persist.
“The state is looking into this matter seriously,” he told reporters when met at an iftar event.
“I am aware this may be a commercial decision… we hope the airlines do not raise their prices exorbitantly.”
Jafry said around 227,000 foreign travellers have entered Sabah over the first two months of this year, according to figures provided by the Immigration Department.
The state is hoping to see more foreign tourists visiting, especially with flights from Singapore expected to start arriving from April 16, he said.
Earlier today, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin hit out at national carrier Malaysia Airlines and budget airline AirAsia over the pricing of flight tickets for the Aidilfitri season, which he claimed could go as high as RM3,600 for a one-way trip from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah on economy class. – The Vibes, April 14, 2022
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