Kota Kinabalu: Thousands of Christians from all denominations in Sabah who were looking forward to their pilgrimage to the Holy Land are among those affected by the tense situation arising from Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
This is despite Jerusalem, the focus of the visit, being far from the war theatre.
“I have 27 clients with confirmed bookings for a holy land tour and air tickets have been issued for the trip for Nov. 16. Their initial travel plans involve flying to Egypt and then travelling overland to Israel,” said Alicia Gomes, chief operating officer of Avasi Borneo, one of the organisers.
“I am praying for an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas war to end all suffering there and allowing people to visit the holy land to retrace the biblical steps and places associated with Jesus Christ,” she said.
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She said tourists can explore other destinations like Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, as the Holy Family comprising Mary, Joseph, and Jesus also spent time there.
It was learnt that some 5,000 Sabahans make the trip yearly, including during the Holy Week in April.
They spend at least RM10,000 on 10-day packages. The flights don’t go directly to Tel Aviv but via Amman in Jordan or Cairo in Egypt.
The Malaysian Government allowed visits to the Holy land for Christians although we do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Connie Chong, Managing Director of Funholiday, suggests alternative pilgrimage routes in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. For instance, devotees can explore the route of St Thomas, one of Jesus Christ’s 12 apostles, from Cochin to Chennai to learn about his life, mission and martyrdom.
Closer to Sabah, they can visit Toraja in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, to see one of the world’s tallest Jesus statues on Buntu Burake Hill.
There are also many pilgrimage sites in the Philippines with century-old Baroque-style churches.
State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew who officiated the event, highlighted Sabah’s resurgence in tourist arrivals post-pandemic.
Visitor arrivals surged, with 1.4 million international and domestic tourists visiting Sabah from January to July.
Based on these figures, she said Sabah is on track to reach its goal of welcoming 2.2 million visitors this year, translating into estimated tourism receipts of RM2.9 billion, signifying a remarkable 99.7pc increase.
Matta Sabah Chairman Christina Wahida Kong expected sales during the three -day fair to be encouraging as the upcoming school holidays and year-end holidays are around the corner.
Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, and Penang are the top preferred domestic destinations. Within Sabah, visits to Semporna, Tawau, and Lahad Datu are selling very well, she said.
International destinations offered include to the Balkans, Alaska, Europe, UAE, etc. Various travel options, including Muslim tour packages, pilgrimage, Umrah, and cruises are the top packages preferred.
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