THE outgoing 2023 marks a significant rebound of the hard-hit tourism industry in Sabah, following Malaysia’s reopening of its borders to travellers from all countries, effective April 1, 2022.
At the helm is Datuk Christina Liew, who interestingly enough made a comeback as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment in January 2023 by a twist of political fate.
She sprang into action, setting things in motion to put the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS) and its six agencies – Sabah Tourism Board (STB), Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Museum Department, Sabah Cultural Board and Environment Protection Department – in top gear to weather the challenges and achieve the targets set for 2023.
Among her earliest initiatives was to launch Sabah’s new tourism destination tagline - Feel Sabah, North Borneo, her brainchild – at the ITB Berlin in Germany in March this year.
