KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government will focus on business and meeting-oriented tourism to revitalise the industry.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin said apart from opening domestic tourism, the government would focus on targeting tourist groups including business tourism and Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibitions (MICE).
He said while MICE industry was not new in Sabah, the state needed to take a new approaches to meet customer demand.
"The MICE industry is seen as one of the sectors to empower the tourism industry. It does not only benefiting the tourism industry but also helps to stimulate other local economic sectors.
"To chart the future of the MICE industry, the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) was built," he said during the National Tourism Policy roadshow at SICC here.
Present were Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and his deputy Datuk Guandee Kohoi, state assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, as well as the state ministry's permanent secretary Dr Jamili Nais.
Jafry also said the MICE industry had been listed in the Sabah Maju Jaya Initiative Plan which showed the government's commitment to make the sector as an important economic contributor to Sabah.
In the first three months last year, Sabah had hosted 128 programmes involving 18,000 participants.
Jafry added that the ministry, through Sabah Tourism Board, also introduced a programme "Be Here For you" to attract such events until the end of this year.
"I would like to urge everyone to take advantage of these initiatives and revitalise the country's tourism sector.
"Let's work together to strengthen our relationship towards improving the MICE industry for Sabah."