Sarawak Economic Development Corporation

DESPITE the economic downturn, hotels managed by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) fared reasonably well during the first half of this year.

SEDC chairman Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the corporation's hotel business was slow from last year until the first half of this year, but the occupancy rate was maintained at more than 60%.

He said the business showed improvements in occupancy rate in June and July.

"The hotel business and tourism as a whole is very sensitive. When the economy is down, people stop travelling and this eventually affects the business," he said after a breaking of fast hosted by the Tourism and Heritage Ministry at Grand Margherita Hotel in Kuching on Thursday evening.

The emergence of new hotels had made the industry more competitive, he added.

Talib, who is also Tourism and Heritage Assistant Minister, said the SEDC, being an early player in the state's tourism industry, would continue to contribute to the growth of tourism in Sarawak.

However, he said its contribution was mainly driven by the private sector.

SEDC manages four hotels in Kuching and one each in Bintulu and Miri.

The hotels in Kuching are Grand Margherita Hotel, Riverside Majestic Hotel, Damai Beach Resort and Damai Puri Resort.

SEDC is also a shareholder of Grand Mulu Resort in Mulu National Park and owns the Parkcity hotels in Bintulu and Miri.

Talib said that SEDC had invested more than RM500mil in capital costs in all its tourism related assets.

STAR
21 August 2010