SIPADAN & KINABALU PARKS AMONG FOREIGN TOURIST FAVOURITE

Foreigners choose Sipadan as favourite diving spot

KOTA KINABALU Jan 9, 2012: Sabah Parks officer Awangku Mohd Rodzan Pengiran Dahlan said most foreigners chose Sipadan as their favourite diving spot in Sabah and statistical evidence confirms that the number of foreign tourists to Sipadan Island surpasses that of the local tourists.

• From January to October last year, 30,959 foreign tourists visited the world renowned diving haven compared to 4,523 local visitors. There were a total of 43,553 divers at Sipadan in 2009 and  43,475 divers in 2010.
• Poring Hot Spring  received 253,216 visitors up until October last year. In 2010, 318,284 tourists visited the natural hot spring while in 2009, the number of tourists recorded was 278,305.
• The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park located nearby the State’s capital city also received its fair share of tourists last year. A total of 307,561 tourists visited the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park up until October 2011.
• Manukan Island registered the highest number of visitors for the ten-month period last year with 116,323,
• followed by Sapi Island with 99,155,
• Mamutik Island with 86,721,
• Gaya Island-Base Camp with 4,344 and
• Gaya Island-Padang Point with 1,018.
• For the corresponding period last year, 23,156 tourists visited the Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
• Tawau Hills Park received a total of 53,857 visitors with
• the Penyu Island Park receiving 9,312 visitors and
• the Crocker Range Park with 3,390 visitors.

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More tourists scaled Mt Kinabalu last year

KOTA KINABALU Jan 7, 2012: The number of tourists who scaled Mt Kinabalu last year had increased compared to 2010, said Sabah Parks officer Awangku Mohd Rodzan Pengiran Dahlan.

He said a total of 44, 338 tourists scaled Mount Kinabalu as of October 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, with 41, 490 tourists from Malaysia and foreign countries.

In 2011, the number of Malaysians who scaled the mountain up till October was 20,269 and non-Malaysians at 24,069.

Rodzan said in 2010, a total of 47, 613 tourists scaled the highest mountain in Malaysia where 19,932 were Malaysians.

The total for 2011 is still being worked out.

“The number of visitors to Kinabalu Parks in 2011 had also increased. Up till October 2011, a total of 242, 906 people visited Kinabalu Parks, with 177,431 Malaysians and 65, 475 non- Malaysians.”

For 2010, a total of 266, 676 visitors came to Kinabalu Parks where 196, 275 visitors were Malaysians and 70, 401, foreigners.