KOTA KINABALU: Revianna Jamlius, a mother of two, made a living over the last 15 years working as a scuba divemaster at Sabah’s famous Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park.
Candidates from the incumbent Warisan Plus coalition as well as from the opposition parties have acknowledged that the tourism industry must be saved. Some have outlined plans to help individuals and businesses during this difficult period.Commenting on these efforts, Jamlius said: “Yes this election is important for many of us. We want the next state government to be able to help us get back our jobs and restart the industry as soon as possible.
He added that the parking area for the starting point to climb the mountain, which would typically be packed with buses in September, was now empty. He noted that before the pandemic, Sabah had around 660 flights a week but this has now been reduced to 110. Liew, who is also deputy chief minister of Sabah, is campaigning under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat banner in the Warisan Plus coalition.
“Tour operators are operating at thin profit margins to get the industry moving. The high cost of airfares is currently a main deterrent in attracting tourists to Sabah,” he said. Jesselton Point in Kota Kinabalu has become empty and quiet since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted travel in Sabah. In the same vein, BN also highlighted that it would like to build an ecosystem to ensure that Sabah’s gig economy would benefit locals, especially those in the tourism sector.