Monday, February 02, 2009

Sabah to ensure cost of climbing up Mount Kinabalu affordable


KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is taking steps to ensure that the cost of climbing up Mount Kinabalu is affordable to all Malaysians, following outcry over its spiralling costs.

State Tourism, Culture & Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said that they were in discussions with Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (SSL), a private company that manages the accommodation facilities at Kinabalu Park, to offer cheaper packages.

However, he explained that the accommodation rates remain at RM40 for locals and RM60 for foreigners, but the cost rose when the private operators provided a RM330 ‘two nights/three days’ per person package deal.

“The package deal undertaken by the private operators was to discourage tour agents from block-booking the mountain accommodation as if they booked, they have to pay the amount in full,” Masidi said yesterday.

However, he said that his officials at Kinabalu Park have asked the private operators not to force the climbers to take the RM330 package deal and have instead urged them to revise their rates.

Continue reading at: Sabah to ensure cost of climbing up Mount Kinabalu affordable
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