Tourist arrivals in Sabah have increased, says Masidi

KOTA KINABALU: Tourist arrivals in Sabah for the first five months this year went up 3.7 per cent in comparison to the same period last year
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Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun, said during the same period this year, a total of 1,134,149 visitors came to Sabah, generating an estimated revenue of RM2.02 billion. Last year 1,093,578 arrived between January and May.
The most significant increase was tourists from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, that numbered at 71,152 or 41.4 per cent more than last year.
Masidi disclosed this when replying to Likas assemblyman, Datuk Liew Teck Chan at the assembly yesterday.
The minister said based on expenditure per capita of tourists in Sabah, those from China averaged at RM2,768.40.
“For the first five months this year, revenue from Chinese tourists is estimated to be RM197 million. Last year it was RM139.3 million, indicating an increase of 45.6 per cent,” he said.
Meanwhile, on a query from Kuamut assemblyman, Masiung Banah, on a new building for SMK Entilibon, Masidi said the Ministry of Education had issued a tender for the construction last March.
“At the moment, the process of evaluating the tender is ongoing to pick a qualified contractor. The contractor’s appointment letter will be issued as soon as the evaluation is completed,” he explained.