Low-budget Hotels Not in SEDC's Plan Yet

SEMATAN: Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), one of the state’s biggest tourism industry players, will not be involved in the low-budget hotel industry at the moment because the existing market is able to sustain and keep pace with the tourist arrivals despite the influx of tourists to the state via low-budget airline, AirAsia.

The corporation, which owns a chain of hotels in Kuching, Damai, Bintulu, Miri and Mulu, will continue to monitor the market and will only get involved in that segment when the needs arise.

SEDC Chairman, Datuk Haji Talib Zulpilip, stated this after launching the Entrepreneurs Carnival at Medan Niaga in Sematan yesterday.

Talib said SEDC would try to cater for the needs of the industry and its role was to ensure that the tourism industry did not suffer from lack of accommodation which could result in loses for the tourism sector.
“Our concern is not about attracting tourist to the State, it is about attracting tourists or customers to pay for the rates of our hotel rooms. Some of the tourists see our rates cheap compared to other parts in the region.” he said.

He said that the main problem in attracting this group of customers or segment of tourists to come to the State was the lack of connectivity with other parts of the world.

“What we need is more flights and better connectivity. Despite the increase in the number of tourists to the State, we still lack of interlining.”

On the corporation’s tourism assets, he said that SEDC had take over the running of the two resorts located in the Damai Peninsular, namely, Damai Lagoon and Damai Beach.

Both resorts are presently undergoing renovation and facelift costing between RM5 million and RM6 million.

Talib revealed that SEDC was presently consolidated its assets and that there were no plans to expand or increase the number of its hotel rooms, except for renovations and repairs.

On weakness and complaints, he said that guests could always write direct to him at talibzu@pc.jaring.my and assured that every complaint would be looked into promptly to ensure quality of services.

Hotel is SEDC’s biggest money spinner and throughout the years, it has remained one of the biggest industry players in the State with about RM300 million being spent on tourism-related projects.

Taken From:

Eastern Times, 21/04/2008