Trade Fair Scheme Unveiled to Promote Responsibility In Tourism Related Business

On January 12, 2012, Kota Kinabalu City Hall unveiled its 'Fair Trade Tourism Select- An Accredited Outlet' programme to give recognition to tourism related small business premises which put into practice aspects of accountability and fairness in their business.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun who launched the programme said, "This implies that business premises picked in this programme have been evaluated by City Hall to satisfy all of the terms and conditions to help them to be recognized as reliable businesses."

"The Ministry is thrilled with this programme as it will increase benefit to the existing services and products provided to tourists."

According to the minister, every single outlet that is certified will obtain a certificate which will then be shown on the outside of the business premises.

The purpose of exhibiting this certificate is to assure tourists and shoppers that they will be receiving a great service and a fair selling price as the certification is a promise that the premises will not charge them an irrational price."

The launching of the program was made at Kadaiku, located at Sinsuran, a handicraft and souvenir business outlet run by Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd because it is the very first recognized tourism related business outlet under the Programme.

According to Masidi, the main reason the programme was launched was because these business outlets provide the first line of  reaction for tourism in Sabah.

"They reveal what Sabah is all about to international visitors. If we are fair and deal with them well and we don't 'cut' them with excessive profits then certainly they will keep returning to Sabah to purchase things."

He said it is a strategy whereby a business will continue to make profit by asking for a fair sum to all the customers.

"This programme has been applied in Hong Kong and it's one of the boosting factors for the tourism sector in Hong Kong.

Masidi also proposed that once an outlet is accredited under the program and after it has been in operation for a year without any issues then it will be awarded with a two year certification.

Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir added that the outlets under the programme will be supervised by City Hall to make sure they follow the conditions of the certification.

Datuk Nancy Ho, who is one of City Hall's Advisory Board member and Tourism, Culture and International Communications Committee Chairwoman who said the launching of the certification was the first held in Sabah, hoped the business would function as a very good role model as a primary shop for the State.

"We hope to see more participation,  like 50 more outlets in Sabah doing business in tourism related products by the end of this year," she said.

Application forms are readily available for download for the serious businesses at City Hall's and the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Environment websites.

The event was also attended by Ministry Permanent Secretary Datuk Michael Emban, Sabah Tourism Board Chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin and City Hall Deputy Director cum Programme Organising Chairman Bahari Hassan.