The prestigious Sabah Tourism Awards is back after two years, and this year's nominees look promising, with several new candidates and tourism players being nominated.
Originally introduced in 1997, the Sabah Tourism Awards was inaugurated to celebrate the Sabah tourism industry’s achievements and acknowledge the commitment to excellence.
This grand ceremony held on the 21st of November and at the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu honours outstanding individuals and organisations whose contributions have contributed to the growth of the tourism industry in Sabah last awards held in 2013.
Sabah Tourism Awards
Tourism nominees for the awards include contributors to the state and national tourism developments in various fields, including front liners, agencies, hotels, resorts, businesses, and the media for print and electronic.
The Sabah Tourism Awards are given to reward excellence, quality and innovation in service and standards. It reflects the vibrancy and versatility of Sabah’s tourism industry.
In this prestigious event, the who's who of the tourism and travel industry will be seen here, dressed from head to toe for the black-tie event.
Performances on stage are held while a night of socialising and mingling among industry players, tourism board members, and other related industries are common.
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| Sabah Tourism Awards Winners for 2013 |
Best Tourist Attraction in Sabah
i) Nature
Nominees:
• Tabin Wildlife Resort
• Selingan Island
ii) Non-Nature / Man-Made
Nominees:
• Mari Mari Cultural Village
• Rumah Terbalik (The Upside Down House)
• North Borneo Railway
Excellence in Hotel Services in Sabah
i) 5-Star
Nominees:
• Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort
• Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
• Le Meridien Hotel
ii) 4-Star & 3-Star
Nominees:
• Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan
• Horizon Hotel, KK
• Ming Garden Hotel & Residences, KK
iii) 2-Star & Below
Nominees:
• Kinabalu Pine Resort, Kundasang
• Best Western Sandakan
• Hotel Sixty3, Kota Kinabalu
iv) Nature Lodge
Nominees:
• Sepilok Nature Resort, Sandakan
• Tabin Wildlife Resort, Lahad Datu
• Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, Kinabalu Park, Kundasang
v) Homestay
Nominees:
• Miso Walai Homestay, Kinabatangan
• Misompuru Homestay, Kudat
• Walai Tokou, Kundasang
vi) Dive Resort
Nominees:
• Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort, Semporna
• Sipadan Mabul Resort (SMART), Semporna
• Lankayan Island Resort, Sandakan
Best Tour Operator in Sabah
i) Best Overseas Tour Operator
There are only seven (7) Awards in this category.
• Australia
• China
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Korea
• Taiwan
ii) Best Inbound Tour Operator (Malaysia)
iii) Most Improved Wholesaler
Best Inbound Tour Package in Sabah
i) Best Inbound Tour Package
Nominees:
• 4D3N Stay at Luxury Villa @ Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Danum Valley
• Riverbug Kiulu White Water River Rafting Combo with Zipline Package
• Sandakan Natural Heritage (2D1N) by Borneo Trails Tours & Travel
Best M.I.C.E / DMC Agent in Sabah
i) Best M.I.C.E Agent
Nominees:
• Borneo Trails Sdn Bhd
• Borneo Passages Sdn Bhd
• Borneo Tropical Holidays Sdn Bhd
Best Tour Guide in Sabah
i) Best General Tour Guide
Nominees:
• Ryan Bin Temmu
• Belle Betsy Chong
• Cesar A. Escobido
ii) Best Specialized Tour Guide
Nominees:
• Muhammad Salehuddin Bin Jais
• Jonathan Soon Chen Vui
• Jason Bugay Reyes
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| The Sabah Tourism Award Trophy |
Best Food Outlet in Sabah
i) Best Restaurant – Hotel / Resort
Nominees:
• Ferdinand’s, The Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort
• Peppino, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa
• Naan, Flavours of India, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort
ii) Best Restaurant – Stand Alone
Nominees:
• The Sandakan Fishing Association, Sandakan
• Party Play Lifestyle Café, Gaya Street
• Gusto Cucina Italiana, Waterfront
Best Shopping Complex in Sabah
Nominees:
• Suria Sabah Shopping Mall
• 1 Borneo Hypermall
• Centre Point Sabah
Best Night Spot Experience in Sabah
Nominees:
• Shenanigans, Hyatt Regency Kinabalu
• The Shamrock Irish Bar, Waterfront
• Cock & Bull, Waterfront
Best Spa Experience in Sabah
i) Hotel / Resort Spa
Nominees:
• Mandara Spa, The Magellan Resort
• Chi Spa, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort
• The Spa, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa
ii) Stand Alone Spa
Nominees:
• Neobayu Spa
• Tiya Spa & Reflexology
• Jari Jari Spa
Best Tourism Article and TV Programme on Sabah
• Best Tourism Article published in Malaysia
• Best Tourism Article published Overseas
• Best TV Programme on Sabah produced in Malaysia
• Best TV Programme on Sabah produced Overseas
• Best Online Media
Best Airlines to Sabah
• Best Airline Station
• Best Airlines
The last two categories above, the nominees have not been updated, but rest assured, they have been selected by the committee for this years STB Awards 2015.
Venue of Sabah Tourism Awards
Grand Ballroom, Magellan Sutera,
Sutera Harbour Resort,
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Date: 21st November 2015
Time: 7.00pm
Website: http://www.sabahtourismawards.com/
Sabah Tourism Board Website: http://www.sabahtourism.com/
For more information, you can contact the persons below;
Ms. Jane Lai (Tickets)
Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd
Tel: +6088-232121
Fax: +6088-265540
E-mail: jane@sabahtourism.com
Ms. Shirley Teo (Information)
Sabah Tourism Board
Tel: +6088-212121
Fax: +6088-219311
E-mail: shirley@sabahtourism.com
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| David Hogan Jr (Malaysia Asia) and Minister of Tourism, Datuk Masidi Manjun with Best Online Media for the Sabah Tourism Awards 2011 |
For your added information, David Hogan Jr from Malaysia Asia won the Best Online Media for Sabah Tourism Awards in 2011 and looking forward to some great news again this year as my article was submitted once again for the online media category as I have been aggressively promoting Sabah and also Sarawak for the last few years.
Borneo is one of the most interesting destinations globally to visit if you love the natural rainforest, culture, heritage, and wildlife. These are just some of the general genres of tourism available here.
Conclusion
The Sabah Tourism Awards is held every two years to pay homage to distinctive and innovative team players in various categories for their unremitting pursuit of excellence in promoting and selling Sabah, Malaysia Borneo.
The awards are also given to the highest prestige and only to the crème de la crème of the tourism industry. We at Malaysia Asia would like to wish all the nominees the best of luck for Sabah Tourism Awards 2015.