KOTA KINABALU: Tourism is the only industry in which Sabahans comprise 95 per cent of the workforce, said Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw.
Liaw said the tourism industry had become the pillar of the State’s economy and tourism-related businesses had benefitted people of all races, including the Chinese, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Malay who worked in hotels, restaurants, massage centres, souvenir shops, shopping malls or as taxi drivers.
Furthermore, Liaw said the Sabah Tourist Guide Association and Sabah Bumiputera Tourist Guide Association have a combined membership of 1,300 guides.
He said Sabah had achieved its target of 3.2 million tourist arrivals this year and was aiming to achieve 4 million arrivals next year.
“We believe the target of 4 million tourist arrivals can be achieved provided nothing happens, such as abductions and kidnappings.
“We also urge the Health Department to carry out stringent control on (tourist) arrivals,” Liaw said during the handing-over of Satta Almanac 2016 to the Sabah State Library here yesterday, in accordance with the Sabah State Library Enactment 1988 (Amendment) 2007 to collect and preserve printed and non-print library resources published in Sabah.
Satta has contributed 15 copies to the State Library and five copies to the national library.
The Satta Almanac 2016, launched in Chongqing, China on March 3 this year and later in Kota Kinabalu on June 18, took a mere four months to complete.
Liaw said the Satta took the initiative to publish the almanac as there was no book written in Mandarin to promote the tourist attractions in Sabah despite the increasing arrival of Chinese tourists.
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