Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is expected to record 2.5 million tourist arrivals this year, exceeding the target of 2.2 million, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She said as of October 2023, Sabah recorded RM4.42 billion in tourism receipts from 2.1 million tourist arrivals.
“I am confident that Sabah is able to achieve the target, which will intensify the momentum for recovery next year.
“To realise this, the State Government is committed in implementing various initiatives and inclusive tourism programmes to market Sabah as a preferred destination for domestic and international tourists post Covid-19 pandemic,” she said in her speech at the launch of the Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA) Sabah 2022 publication at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, here, Thursday.
SPONSORED CONTENT Sabah International Convention Centre’s Big Sabah Sale a big hit Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah International Convention Centre’s (SICC) Big Sabah Sale which concluded on Sunday saw a good response with about 20,000 visitors during the three-day extravaganza. . Read more Her speech was read by her Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
Chief Statistician of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, was also present.
Christina said there is still a lot to be done, as the vibrancy of Sabah’s tourism sector is still lower compared to what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, where 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in 2019 alone.
As such, she said efforts to expand air connectivity would continue to top the list of agendas, with various incentives planned to encourage airline companies to restart stalled air routes, open new air routes and initiate special charter flights to Sabah.
She added that every week, Sabah receives a total of 384 domestic flights with 63,519-seat capacity and 105 direct international flights to Kota Kinabalu with 18,962-seat capacity.
“Air transport is a crucial network to connect Sabah with potential destinations in the region. The reopening of the national borders has yielded a positive impact and encouraged the recovery of Sabah’s tourism sector.
“In 2022, Sabah recorded 1.73 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 365.5 per cent compared to only 371,187 arrivals recorded the previous year,” she said.
Additionally, she said, the Government would continue to develop rural tourism in efforts to empower eco-tourism in Sabah.
“With the prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ recognition awarded to Sabah, it is an indicator to the Ministry that the biodiversity of the State’s natural environment is a priceless asset that must be restored and preserved,” she added.
Meanwhile, Christina said the 2022 Sabah Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA) was implemented to measure the performance of Sabah’s tourism sector and its findings are vital to form policies that can boost tourism activities in the State.
“With this publication, it will be able to help many parties, including the Government, researchers, academicians and industry players, in drafting and planning the development of Sabah’s tourism industry,” she said.
The 2022 Sabah RSTA found that the three factors influencing a traveller’s decision to visit Sabah are ease of access, Sabah’s tourist attractions and recommendations by friends and family.
It was also found that the three main attractions of Sabah are the beauty of its islands and beaches, eco-tourism and its food haven.
The data also showed that 57.6 per cent of visitors are male while 42.4 per cent are female, with 70.9 per cent of visitors choosing to stay in hotels, 18.2 per cent in the homes of friends and family and 5.2 per cent in homestays.
Visitors were also inclined to purchase local food, dried and frozen seafood and handicrafts, among others, with Imago Shopping Mall, the Kota Kinabalu night market and the handicraft market being their shopping location of choice.
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