Spa, Herbal Treatment Potential Tourist Draw In Sabah

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman Friday called on entrepreneurs and the tourism industry in the state to make use of the mushrooming herbal and spa treatment business as a tourist draw.
Besides Sabah's natural attractions -- from Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia, and the diving haven in Sipadan Island -- tourists would be able to enjoy spa and herbal treatment which could contribute to their well-being, he said in a keynote address at the opening of a two-day seminar which began here today.
The Convention for Women In Business was organised by the Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (SWEPA).
Musa said: "The spa industry is one such industry that helps people to relax, reduce stress and achieve a better quality of life. As such, it is not surprising to see the mushrooming of spas in the local scene."
In this respect, he said, to promote spa treatment as one of the tourist attractions, spa operators must manage their outlets professionally and deliver the best possible service.
"To this end, training institutions should offer human resource development programmes for therapists to equip them with the necessary knowledge and know how," he said.
At the same time, Musa said, the relevant authorities such as City Hall must also ensure higher standards of operations while organisations such as Sirim Bhd must play an active role in ensuring that the quality of the state health tourism programmes was upheld.
He also said that Sabah, which was endowed with 1,250 species of plants with medicinal value from its tropical rainforests, offers much potential for growth in manufacturing herbal-based health food and beverages, medicine, health-enhancing products, dietary supplements, flavours and fragrances, cosmetics and toiletries.
"In this respect, it pleases me to note that Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has already made the commercialisation of biodiversity one of its research projects," he said.
In Malaysia alone, the growing herbal medicine market was currently estimated at RM2.35 billion, he added.