Mohamaddin when interviewed at the open house.
LAHAD DATU: The Tourism, Art and Culture Ministry will work on finding funds to boost the tourism industry and enhance tourism products at Sabah’s east coast.
Its minister, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, said efforts were also being made to attract more local and foreign tourists as well as boosting eco-tourism in the area.
Mohamaddin said Silam for example had several tourist attractions that could be visited, such as the Tower of Heaven, Danum Valley, Tabin Wild Reserve and others.
“We (the ministry) will promote tourism attractions in Malaysia including here in Silam as well as in Sabah through the Travel Mart outside the country.
“In the coming months, we will attend more travel marts including those in Beijing, Russia and Europe,” said the Silam member of parliament at the P.188 Silam Hari Raya Open House at Dewan Perdana, yesterday.
Mohamaddin said his ministry was also considering the establishment of a cultural village in Sabah.
He said Sabah, which is known as a state that had various ethnic groups living harmoniously, could serve as a tourism hub.
Meanwhile, Mohamaddin said his ministry would also go for efforts to develop the tourism sector in the state, including those under the opposition.
“We do not care about political issues as I also had gone to Kelantan as well as Terengganu to develop the tourism sectors there,” he said when asked about the Visit Sarawak Campaign.
Mohamaddin said he would visit Sarawak in the near future and their main focus would be to boost handicraft and eco-tourism in the area.
The Hari Raya open house was also attended by Sabah assistant ministers of Rural Development, Dumi Pg Masdal and Tourism, Culture and Environment, Assafal P Alian.
The celebration, which highlighted the uniqueness of the ethnic groups in Silam, was attended by about 3,000 people.
[Source: “Boost for tourism industry at Sabah’s east coast” published by BorneoPost Online]Photo Credits: BorneoPost Online
