Semporna tourism growth must benefit locals

KOTA KINABALU: June 8, 2026 The Sabah government is committed to ensuring local communities remain the primary beneficiaries of tourism growth, particularly in Semporna, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said. He said tourism development must be balanced and inclusive, with economic benefits directly reaching Sabahans and local communities. Jafry was commenting on…

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Sabah, Thailand to jointly promote wellness events

The International Wholistic Wellness Conference & Expo (IWWCE 2024) in Kota Kinabalu has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Thailand Wellness Asia Summit 2024 (TWAS 2024) to jointly promote wholistic wellness events globally. The partnership aims to advocate for medical wellness communities and tourism across ASEAN and beyond. The agreement was signed between…

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Over 200 locations in Sabah identified for camping development

Over 200 locations across Sabah have been identified as suitable for development as camping sites, said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai. This initiative was carried out by the Sabah Camping and Caravanning Association in collaboration with community-based tourism (CoBT), he said when officiating the Tampasak Eco-Camp and Tagal Sondoton–Poimbolutan in Kampung…

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SICC hosts CULT M’sia Day parade

The Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) recently hosted the CULT Malaysia Day Parade, solidifying its status as a premier venue for major events. This versatile facility accommodated 500 cars in its spacious foyer and welcomed 1,000 attendees and vendors. The car parade was inaugurated by Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, with…

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Hotel industry in Sabah badly hit by Covid-19

PUTRAJAYA: The hotel industry in Sabah suffered hefty losses of RM11,550,605 million following the cancellations of 32,392 rooms for bookings from January 22 till March 16, 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19. The amount recorded by Sabah was the second highest after Kuala Lumpur which suffered losses amounting to RM23,021,301 million from the cancellations of…

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China contributes largest tourists to Sabah

China is Sabah’s largest source of foreign tourists, with 262,070 of the 706,383 international arrivals recorded from January to July this year. The surge was also due to the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China announced last December. China’s visitor arrivals were recorded at 26,054 of the 424,052 international arrivals for the same period…

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