Monday, March 19, 2012

TOURISM TO CREATE GREEN ENVIRONMENT

Hotels and resorts here were told to step up the ‘greening’ of their premise to complement the government’s effort in developing a sustainable tourism sector.

Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Musa Aman said the hospitality sector should be mindful of the need to reduce its carbon footprint as Sabah was known for its biodiversity, clean environment and nature-based destinations.

“It is crucial for players in the tourism sector who depend on Sabah’s natural products to lure tourists to implement greener policies. Look for innovative ways of reducing energy and water use, recycle what you can, and try to start sourcing for organic detergents,” Musa said.

He said businesses that showed real commitment in going green would draw in environmental conscious clientele apart from helping to create a safer and better environment.

Musa also called on hotel and resort operators in Sabah to create their own niche and offer something different to guests and make use of the feedback from their customers to update and improve their services.

He added that Malaysia has a variety of products that cater to the needs of tourists, from nature destinations to rich cultural heritage and premier shopping malls. “There is something for everyone who visits Malaysia. It is projected that in 2020, the country’s tourism sector will grow by three folds with 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts,” he said.

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