By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah tourism industry is ranked among the higher tier in Malaysia for providing excellent services to visitors.
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts (Motac) Sabah Director Ibrahim Othman said that, at the national level, Sabah remains ahead of many other states that have obtained the Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance (MyTQA), accreditation, which is aimed at uplifting standards ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
The accreditation, graded platinum, gold and silver, is designed to boost tourist confidence and ensure products of the highest quality. It was first introduced by Motac in the early 2000s and rebranded in 2022 with updated guidelines.
“We are quite happy with the number of tourism operators in Sabah that have received MyTQA so far. But as other states are progressing, we look forward to more participation from other products,” he said.
He said this after presenting the MyTQA accreditation and plaque, valid for three years, to four recipients under the meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) category at Imago Shopping Mall.
The recipients are Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, The Magellan Sutera Resort and The Pacific Sutera Resort, all of which received platinum status, while Ibis Styles Kota Kinabalu received gold.
Ibrahim said the products were audited thoroughly based on 11 criteria, including visitor safety, convenience, facilities, and their contribution to local communities.
The establishments were also assessed on how they look after staff wellbeing and implement sustainable practices, he said.
“So, all in all, what we emphasise is how they provide the utmost convenience, quality facilities and overall satisfaction of the visitor experience,” said Ibrahim.
He said that with more certified products offering quality assurance, Sabah’s tourism profile can be further elevated.
To date, 13 products have been accredited. These include Imago Shopping Mall (platinum), Shangri-La Rasa Ria (gold), Dalit Bay Golf and Country Club (gold), Mari-Mari Cultural Village (gold), Galeri Azman Hashim, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (silver), Mengkabong Paradise, Tuaran, Papyrus Marine Holiday Sdn Bhd (silver), Koisaan Cultural Village (gold), Tabin Wildlife Resort, and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
