KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Christina Liew is spearheading Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS) again and she has set her vision to bring in more tourists to Sabah.
The Api-Api state legislative assemblywoman predicts that this year will be a good year for the ministry, following a lively market ideal for developing and expanding tourism.
"Starting this year, I foresee a busy yet exciting and challenging year for the tourism industry.
"Next week, I will be meeting with aides, the permanent secretary and the ministry's senior officers. I will also be meeting with the tourism industry's top players to come up with a good tourism strategy for Sabah," she said via a statement.
According to Liew, before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah had recorded 4.3 million tourists arrivals.
She said that more than half of the tourists between 2018 and 2020 (when she helmed KrPKAS) were from China. During that time, the state government was led by Parti Warisan.
"Not long after, there were changes in the government followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, so the tourism in Sabah has been very quiet.
Yesterday, Liew was one of two Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) assemblymen, apart from Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe who was appointed as minister during the swearing in ceremony at Istana Seri Kinabalu.
Before this, Sukau assemblyman Datuk Jafry Ariffin (BN-Umno) headed KePKAS before the reshuffling of the state cabinet, following political unrest and uncertainty.