Kota Kinabalu: Chinese tourist arrivals to Sabah rose 25.5 per cent in the first seven months this year, with 484,699 arrivals recorded between January and July, said Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
Speaking at the Sabah B2B Roadshow in Fuzhou Friday, he said the figure was up from 386,217 arrivals during the same period last year.
“This strong growth reflects the continued demand for Sabah among Chinese travellers and highlights the importance of strengthening our connectivity with China,” he said in a statement.
To further support this growing demand, Jafry said Xiamen Airlines will resume its direct Xiamen-Kota Kinabalu service on Sept 23.
Jafry said together with the existing Fuzhou-Kota Kinabalu route, Sabah will now benefit from seven direct flights per week from Fujian province — four from Xiamen and three from Fuzhou.
“This enhanced connectivity will make Sabah more accessible to travellers from Fujian and the surrounding regions, while creating greater opportunities for our tourism industry,” Jafry said.
Jafry noted that Sabah’s diverse tourism attractions — including beaches, islands, rainforests, people, and rich cultural traditions — remain an appeal to Chinese tourists.
The B2B Roadshow was organised in strong collaboration with the Malaysia Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) Sabah Chapter, Xiamen Airlines and the Sabah Tourism Board.
It successfully brought together key travel agents and industry players from Xiamen and Quanzhou to explore new collaborations.
