Sabah hotels fully booked for CNY holiday season

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KOTA KINABALU: There is a concern whether tourists arriving for the Chinese New Year holiday season could be accommodated as hotels in Sabah are reported to have been fully booked until March.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said most four and five star hotels as well as other accommodations are fully booked.

“Sabah is ever ready to welcome tourists, especially the Chinese tourists, but we are worried whether our hotels are ready. We hope hotels and accommodations will take necessary steps to ensure a smooth stay for tourists,” Masidi said.

Meanwhile, he said the state government was also facing another critical situation as the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is reaching its maximum capacity of nine million passengers.

“Last year, we recorded a 7.9 million arrival and looking at the trend now, we will be getting more and more tourists so we need to find a solution fast on how to handle the surge in visitors if it reaches the maximum capacity,” he said during a gathering with ministry staff here.

Among the suggestions include the expansion of the airport until the sea front, to build a new airport in Kimanis, to divert airlines and tourists to the east coast such as Sandakan and Tawau, as well as reopening the shut down KKIA Terminal II.

-thestar online.
http://www.sabahtourism.com/