KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will showcase its abundant dive sites to the rest of the world during the three-day Malaysia International Dive Expo (MIDE) in Kuala Lumpur starting Friday (May 27).
The state’s rich dive sites such as the Blue Ring Reef and shipwreck dives in Lahad Datu will also be highlighted during a presentation by Sabah dive industry pioneer Clement Lee on Saturday (May 28).
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Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman said key players GTS Travel Sdn Bhd and Borneo Divers Sdn Bhd will also be present to promote the state’s underwater splendour at MIDE.
“Sabah is not just about mountains and culture but also a premier scuba diving destination.
“As one of the world's fastest-growing recreational sports, scuba diving contributed to Sabah’s growth in tourism over the years, with international divers visiting the state.
“We noted the growth of estimated dive revenues before the pandemic, where it rose from RM799.8mil in 2018 to RM821mil in 2019.
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“This trend reflects the increase in the number of guest arrivals to dive sites in Sabah, which saw 133,921 arrivals in 2018, and 137,749 arrivals in 2019,” she said in a statement.
The figure consists of both international and domestic visitors to the dive sites.
Noredah said it was also encouraging to see an 11% growth in domestic arrivals to dive sites in 2019.
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“We would like to see more Malaysians explore this activity here, to understand why our dive sites are sought after by travellers,” she said.
Despite some loss in terms of niche tourism during the pandemic, Noredah expressed optimism that the diving industry would bounce back.
According to Sabah’s 2019 tourism statistics, China (including Hong Kong) recorded the most international visitors to Sabah’s dive sites with 99,714 arrivals.
This was followed by Taiwan (1,561), the United States (766), the United Kingdom and Ireland (595), and Singapore (506).