KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is ready to receive foreign tourists following the opening of the country’s border today, said Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor.
He said the opening of the country’s border was very much welcomed by the Sabah Government as it brought relief, especially to the state’s tourism industry which had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Like other countries, the pandemic also affected Sabah and many industry players in the state have had to close their operations, especially with the closing of the country’s border restrictions on flights in and out of Sabah,“ he said in a statement today.
The state government, he said, had channeled grants amounting to RM10 million in financial assistance to hotels, tour operators, tour guides and travel agencies to ease the burden of the industry players.
The grants had benefited 500 industry players, he added.
He said the state government was also implementing the Sabah Tourism Rehabilitation Plan for domestic and foreign tourists in promoting the state’s tourism, including preparations for changes in the industry with the country entering transition to endemic phase.
Hajiji said tourism industry players must be innovative, prepared to accept changes and adapt new approaches in overcoming various constraints.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) has intensified monitoring and security control in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) with the expected return of foreign tourists to the resort islands in the area.
ESSCom Commander DCP Hamzah Ahmad said various operations were being carried out, apart from daily checks at checkpoints in Kalabakan and Sapi Nangoh, to prepare for the arrival of tourists and ensure their safety. — Bernama