Yalinie Mathan
Cruise tourism has returned triumphantly to Sabah as the Seabourn Encore liner arrived at Sabah Port, bringing over 1,000 passengers and crew members.
The arrival of Seabourn Encore marks the first cruise landing in Sabah since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down international borders and tourism in 2020 and signals a positive outlook for the industry in the state.
The cruise liner entered state waters on Wednesday (Feb 15) morning and pulled into the Sabah Port. Its most recent stop was in Boracay, Philippines.
The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is welcoming the return of cruise ships, with plans for eight cruise ships to visit Sabah this year, offering visitors the chance to explore the city and nearby attractions and diversifying the state’s tourism industry.
The STB team welcomed the passengers and presented them with goodie bags as they prepared to spend the night in Kota Kinabalu before the Seabourn Encore continued to its Singapore homeport.
According to Noredah Othman, the CEO of STB, the resumption of cruise tourism is a promising sign that Sabah remains a popular destination for cruisers.
Noredah explained that cruise ship tourism had contributed tens of thousands of visitors to Sabah, and tapping into the cruise market is vital to diversifying the state’s tourism industry.
The arrival of cruise liners provides an opportunity for introducing more products, especially within the city centre for cruise passengers. The opportunities are broader than in Kota Kinabalu, as cruise ships also berth in Sandakan.
Sabah had the most cruise ship arrivals in 2019, with 26 cruise liners and 37,431 passengers. In 2018, Sabah received 21 cruise ships and 21,738 passengers, compared to 17 cruise ships and 23,474 passengers in 2017. From January to February 2020, Sabah received five cruise ships and 9,140 passengers.
Cruise liner tourism has significantly contributed to the global tourism industry for decades. The industry has experienced rapid growth over the past few decades, with over 30 million people worldwide taking a cruise in 2019.
Asia is one of the fastest-growing cruise markets, with the number of cruise passengers in the region increasing from 775,000 in 2012 to 4.24 million in 2018.
The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the cruise industry, with most cruise lines suspending operations in early 2020 due to the outbreak.
Many cruise ships were stranded at sea for months, some becoming hotspots for the virus. The industry has since implemented new health and safety protocols, and some cruise lines have resumed operations with reduced capacity and new safety measures in place.
The return of cruise tourism to Sabah is a positive sign for the industry, as it shows that there is still demand for cruise travel.
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