Joint promotion of Sarawak tourism

KUCHING: Tourism Ministry, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Federation of Sarawak Tourism (STF) will be working together to promote interesting local products through attractive documentations and promotions.

Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the state had the potential to contribute to the expected 36 million tourists arrival to the country by year 2020.

“We have a lot of natural attractions that are potentially tourist destinations. Sarawak also has its own unique natural settings that are suitable for activities like kayaking, mountain climbing, and jungle trekking, which are still unknown to foreigners,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

He was responding to Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen’s statement on the 36 million foreign tourists expected to arrive here in 2020 with estimated RM168 billion revenue.

However, he said air transportation issues that the state is currently facing should be adressed immediately as they would affect the state government’s efforts to reach that figure.

STF’s president Audry Wan Ullok said they would cooperate with STB and Tourism Ministry to identify new tourism products that had the potential to attract international toursits.

She explained that tourists from peninsular Malaysia were the main contributors to the state’s tourists arrival and as such, there was an urgent need to resolve the air accessibility issues.

“To increase foreign tourists arrival to the state, Kuching International Airport (KIA) should be the hub for international flights in the region especially to enable direct flights from Singapore,” she said.

STB’s chief executive officer Dato Rashid Khan stressed they were on the right path based on an overwhelming tourists arrival of 16.5 per cent.

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Kalstar launches Kuching-Jakarta route

KUCHING: Kuching International Airport (KIA) now offers connectivity to Jakarta through Kalstar Aviation, which made their maiden flight here yesterday.

The maiden flight, which arrived with Indonesian tourism players and media, utilises its newly-furbished Boeing 737-300 aircraft which has the capacity to carry 148 passengers.

The inclusion of Kalstar brings the number of airlines operating at KIA to eight.

The others are Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Firefly, Batavia Air, Royal Brunei Airlines, Tiger Airways and Silk Air.

Kalstar commenced scheduled daily flights for the Jakarta-Pontianak-Kuching and vice versa route with arrival in Kuching at 9:45am and departure for Pontianak at 10.15am every day.

“Malaysia Airports (MAB) welcomes Kalstar’s operations to KIA and wishes them all the best for this service. We are delighted with this as it offers connection to Jakarta, with stopover at Pontianak, which will benefit passengers from Sarawak in terms of choices.

“MAB is actively collaborating with the government to ensure that we maximise the effectiveness of our marketing investment to attract new airlines and establish new routes,” Malaysia Airports managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad said.

Meanwhile Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chairman Dato Rashid Khan said the route would profit Kalstar as well as tourism stakeholders in the state.

“We will further the cooperation between tourism stakeholders in both countries by organising more promotional campaigns such as participating in trade shows and travel fairs in Indonesia and we will also arrange for Indonesian stakeholders to come here,” he said.

The flight is seen as a welcome addition to Kalstar’s route expansion and the airline looks forward to continuous growth for this operation.

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Kuching International Airport now operating round the clock

KUCHING: Kuching International Airport (KIA) will operate round the clock from today.

Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd KIA senior manager Sunif Naiman said a final inspection on the runway was carried out yesterday so that the airport could officially open 24 hours.

“By tomorrow (today) effective from 5.30am, we can accommodate the arrival of airlines after midnight. That means we are open round the clock,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference in conjunction with Firefly’s inaugural Johor Bahru-Kuching flight, Sunif said the inspection was carried out by Malaysia Airports, the consultant as well as main contractor.

Without disclosing details, he revealed that the runway project was behind schedule.

“The completion date was scheduled for last year, but due to certain hiccups, it has been slightly delayed,” he said.

The largest aeroplane that the KIA runway can accommodate is the Boeing 747-400 series.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said KIA’s 24-hour operations would be an added advantage for STB to further promote tourism.

“If the airport is operational round the clock, it would help to attract many airlines especially from North Asia.

“This is because their aircraft are land idle on ground, so, they can actually use the same aircraft to come here and go without distracting their normal flight schedule. That is an opportunity for us to be more marketing savvy,” he said.

He revealed that STB plans to invite top leaders of airlines to visit Sarawak this October to showcase KIA and the state’s tourist attractions.

“At least if they can’t operate regular schedules, they can operate chartered (flights),” he said.

On Firefly’s inaugural flight from KIA to Johor Bahru, Rashid said the move is in line with the airline’s target to make KIA one of its hubs.

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Foreign airlines can operate charter flights to increase air accessibilty into Sarawak

KUCHING: Foreign airlines can operate charter flights into Sarawak without disrupting their regular scheduled services to increase air accessibility, once the Kuching International Airport (KIA) starts operating from round-the-clock tomorrow, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Datuk Rashid Khan said today.

He said there were many airlines, especially in north Asia, whose aircrafts were actually lying idle and which could be used for charter flights to bring in foreign tourists as the KIA’s extended runway can now accommodate wide bodied aircraft, including the Boeing 737 and Airbus A380.

“It is an opportunity for us to be more savvy in marketing the KIA because doing so is also about tourism,” he told reporters here, after welcoming the Firefly inaugural flight for the Johor Bahru-Kuching sector with 118 passengers on board.

Last week, Sarawak Tourism and Heritage Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state’s tourism stakeholders wanted to work closely with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and other airlines on air accessibility to certain selected destinations, following the KIA’s new runway extension, which was completed last year.

Rashid said STB, the ministry’s marketing arm, was looking at holding a promotional event to showcase the KIA and the state’s tourism products with chief executives and chief commercial officers of airlines being invited here sometime in October this year.

He was confident that they would be convinced by what Sarawak has to offer in coming and seeing for themselves the infrastructure available as well as its product experience, especially in nature and adventure.

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Sarawak Tourism Stakeholders Want MAS To Initiate Air Accessibility

KUCHING -- Sarawak's tourism stakeholders want to work closely with Malaysia Airlines (MAS), on air accessibility to certain selected destinations in Europe and Australia, following the Kuching International Airport's new runway extension.

The extension is to accommodate the Boeing 737 and Airbus A380 aircrafts.

State Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the local tourism industry, including the state government, is expected to engage MAS on such a possibility based on a 50-50 business joint venture.

"MAS wants to make money and we want to attract tourists as part of our marketing strategies," said Abang Johari who has been tasked with looking after the state Tourism and Heritage Ministry.

He was speaking after meeting with local stakeholders to discuss the industry's roadmap here yesterday.

In terms of aviation and linkages, MAS and its wholly-owned subsidiary, MASWings which serves the Sarawak-Sabah sector, operates 206 weekly flights for the international routes in the state at present.

In January this year, MAS launched its Kuching-Seoul direct flight via Kota Kinabalu as well as its Kuching-Tokyo and Kuching-Osaka direct flights to attract more tourist arrivals from Korea and Japan.

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AirAsia Gets Land Offer To Build LCCT In Kuching

KUCHING -- The Sarawak government is offering a piece of land, adjacent to the Kuching International Airport, to AirAsia Bhd to build a dedicated low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT), said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan.

He said the establishment of the LCCT will not only draw more air travellers to the state but also boost the state's tourism industry and double revenue.

"The state government has offered land to AirAsia to set up a LCCT here. Now, AirAsia just need's to build the terminal.

"They (AirAsia and state government) are talking seriously," said Dr Chan, who is also the state's Tourism and Heritage Minister, in an interview with Bernama today.

AirAsia, the region's largest low cost carrier, planned to build a low cost carrier at the Kuching International Airport to turn Sarawak into a low-cost air travel hub with extensive domestic and international connections.

The justification to set up a LCCT in Sarawak was because the airport tax of RM51 imposed at KIA was considered too high by travellers.

Dr Chan urged Malaysia Airport Berhad to seriously consider reducing the airport tax and charges at the low-cost carrier terminal to develop new traffic and to further promote the state's tourism industry.

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More MAS international flights from Kuching

SARAWAKIANS can expect Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to operate more international routes to and from Kuching next year.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan yesterday said the destinations include Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, Seoul in South Korea and Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei.

The Tourism and Heritage Minister also said MAS would commence its flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, Osaka’s Kansai Airport and Seoul’s Incheon Airport into Kuching via Kota Kinabalu in Sabah from mid January next year.

“AirAsia will operate Kuching-Bandar Seri Begawan in 2011. We are also advocating that MASwings be allowed to operate Kuching-Pontianak, Kuching-Bandar Seri Begawan and Mulu-Bandar Seri Begawan routes on a commercial basis,” said Dr Chan in his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Apart from that, Firefly would be flying into the capital city from January next year, he said.

Dr Chan pointed out that enhancing accessibility and connectivity was crucial in helping the state achieve its target of 4 million tourists next year.

Hence, the state government had entered into discussions with Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd to provide incentives to foreign airlines in terms of free landing and discounts on airport charges, he revealed.

“The federal government has been supportive in liberalising the air services agreement with foreign countries and the opening up of Sarawak through reciprocal open sky policy. The state continues to engage airlines as part of its strategy to collaborate in destination promotion efforts and contributed marketing support funds as part of the joint promotion to bring more tourists,” he explained.

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Excitement over new low-cost flights to Kuching and KK

AS SOON as word got out that Firefly was spreading its wings to Sarawak and Sabah on Monday, online traffic at Firefly’s ticketing website escalated rapidly.

The buzz was all over Facebook that the airliner, a wholly-owned unit under Malaysia Airlines, was offering tickets priced as low as RM9 for travel between Jan 15 to May 31 next year.

Aside from this too-good-to-resist promotion, Sarawakians were happy over the fact that they had more travel choices.

When met at Kuching International Airport yesterday, avid traveller Awang Putra Awang Ahmad said that Firefly’s expansion was a good move and highly anticipated.

He said the people now had the choice of another low-cost carrier .

“More airlines means competition in ticket prices, so customers are bound to benefit,” he told StarMetro.

Putra, who works in the service industry, said he was excited over the air fare Firefly had to offer to compete with rival AirAsia.

“I’m planning a holiday with my family in Kuala Lumpur next year so I’m going to check out Firefly’s fares. I hope it will come up with packages for the family soon,” he said.

Lim Fung, who was travelling to Kuala Lumpur, said the promotion by Firefly was attractive, but hoped the airline would provide good service other than just cheap fares.

“Sometimes, all that a customer wants is an easy flight, and this means no long delays. I hope Firefly will give us consistency in timing as well,” said Lim, who works as a driver.

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