The Sabah government is stepping up efforts to revive and develop the
tourism sector, allocating RM134.6 million (US$30 million) in the 2023
Budget to support the state's Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.
The elevated focus on tourism development will see the ministry
upgrade tourism facilities and human capital development for
community-based tourism, according to Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor
at the opening of the World Tourism Conference 2022, whose speech was
read by Sabah local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun, who
is also second finance minister.
The East Malaysian state will also establish the Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB), which will to be operational in 2023.
“The SCB will accelerate the growth of the tourism industry through
tourism-based business events to make Sabah a preferred destination for
MICE that will generate economic activities for the benefit of the
hospitality, logistics, aviation and other related sectors,” said Hajiji
in his opening speech.
“The state government dispenses a good budget to cushion the impact
and to ensure the healthy development of our tourism industry seeing
that tourism generated the biggest revenue for Sabah pre-pandemic."
WTC 2022, themed "Tourism Futures Reimagined", is jointly organised
by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia in partnership
with the World Tourism Organisation and the Sabah government.
Taking place 28-20 November at the Sabah International Convention
Centre, the event brought together 1,000 delegates from more than 60
countries in its sixth edition this year.