Industry Players Meet To Boost Tourism In Sabah, Makassar

By Khatijah Jistoh MAKASSAR (Indonesia), Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Industry players from Sabah participated in a familiarisation trip to Makassar organised by the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau to promote cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia in the tourism sector. The initiative was to help promote tourism destinations in Indonesia while creating business opportunities with industry players in Sabah, said Septania Ruby Prameswari, Secretary 1 for Implementation of Economic Functions at the Tawau consulate of Indonesia. She said the promotion of tourism destinations in the two countries is getting better and the people in Sabah are now more familiar with the Indonesian sites of interest. Nine tourism operators from Makassar and seven from Sabah participated in the trip, from Nov 5 to 11, in South Sulawesi. Abdullah Bazergan, a tour and travel operator from Makassar, said Tawau, being an important gateway into Sabah, was attracting thousands of international tourists, especially from China. He said the collaboration will bring about positive outcomes for the two cities and nations. Dr Nip Wing Kan, the chief executive officer of a Tawau-based eco tour and adventure company, said that while Makassar had many interesting tourism products, the journey to the city took a long time. He said there is a need for direct flights between the two cities. -- BERNAMA