Record Chinese tourist arrivals this month
Tourist arrivals from China is set to reach a record breaking high this month, according to Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming.
KOTA KINABALU: Tourist arrivals from China is set to reach a record breaking high this month, according to Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming.
“I am expecting the tourist arrivals from China this month to be the highest ever in the state’s tourism history for a particular month. On a low end we will see about 60,000 visitors from China coming to Sabah while on a high end, about 70,000 people.
“This is based on the number of flights from China to Sabah,” he said adding that there are 400 direct flights per week and 100 chartered flights from China to Sabah in February.
Pang who was met at LDP’s get together with the media in conjunction with the Chinese New Year said that the figure does not include flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau which is about six flights a day.
“On average one flight will be carrying a capacity of 160 passengers. If 80 per cent of the seats are occupied that will total to 64,000 tourists. Then let’s say that there are about 40 Chinese tourists on each of the direct flights to Tawau, that equals to another 6,000 people.
“Total up the figures and we are looking at 70,000 China tourists in this one month, it is the highest ever and it might even reach 75,000,” he said and added that during Chinese New Year last year, a total of about 75,000 China tourists visited Sabah but that was over a two-month period as the lunar new year started at the end of January.
In terms of tourism receipts, Pang said that tourists from China spend about RM3,600 to RM3,800 per person.
“So you can do the math. More than RM200 million just for this one month,” he pointed out. He also said that almost all of the tourists flying from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau would go directly to Semporna.
“We need a lot more accommodation in Semporna which many people are building and I expect to see close to 1,000 new rooms there in the next 18 months. We will be able to fill that up,” he said and disclosed that Semporna is so packed that even a bed at a backpackers lodging can cost RM50 per night.