Malaysia: Tourism Is Labuan's Sustainable Force For Economic Growth

By Jailani Hasan LABUAN (Sabah, Malaysia), June 8 (Bernama) -- Tourism has been recognised as a force for sustainable economic growth and inclusive development in generating jobs, alleviating poverty and contributing to environmental conservation in Labuan. Labuan is located off the west coast of Sabah, a state of east Malaysia. Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs President, Mohd Alias Abdul Rahman said it provided sustainable economic development for the communities in Labuan and ultimately for the nation. He was commenting on the soon-to-be-launched direct maiden charter flight from Taipei to Labuan on July 7, marking yet another milestone in the development of Labuan’s tourism industry. “This will augur well for Labuan and will certainly help to spur movement of tourists and business travellers from Taiwan and China into Labuan and vice versa,” he told Bernama in an interview here Thursday, hailing the government’s effort in reviving Labuan’s duty-free economy through a more sustainable tourism sector. Alias said Taipei would soon become the hub for Labuan in its tourism marketing efforts to bring in more visitors from overseas. “It is a significant step to promote tourism and lure foreign tourists to the island. We will support the government’s efforts in highlighting the business community’s predicament. “We must also look forward to connect to other Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea,” he added. Alias also said the existing tourism infrastructure must be upgraded continuously to be on par with international standards. Most international visitor arrivals were of leisure tourism, followed by business travel, other purposes including family visits, religious pilgrimage, health and education, he said. “The number of international tourist arrivals is still relatively small, compared to the annual domestic arrival numbers. “The international tourism sector has the capacity to generate foreign exchange and provide opportunities for capital and knowledge transfer,” he said. Alias said international tourism was a key source of foreign exchange and a crucial contributor to the balance of payments and macro-economic stability, especially in developing countries. “The business community here is rallying to transform the island’s economy to a more sustainable footing,” he said. LMB Global (Malaysia), the tourism agency responsible to bring in Taiwanese tourists, is also preparing to fly in tourists from southern and southwest areas in China, Nanning and Kunming via direct flights from Brunei. Earlier this year, the Malaysian Aviation Commission approved 11 Malindo Air flights from Taipei to Labuan. Applications for new and additional flights are being processed. -- BERNAMA