Sabah is encouraging more people from the Peninsula to consider vacationing there because it offers cheaper alternatives compared to international travel.
Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, emphasizes that visiting Sabah not only saves money but also promotes cultural exchange among Malaysians from different regions.
Despite the weakening Ringgit, Sabah remains an affordable destination for tourists. The increased domestic travel within Malaysia is expected to boost Sabah’s economy, aligning with its development plans.
Joniston also urges Sabahans to embrace visitors from other states, fostering unity through cultural exchange.
He leads the Sabah Tourism Board’s participation at the Matta Fair 2024, running on March 22-24 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur to attract more tourists.
These efforts have shown positive results, with Sabah exceeding its 2023 tourism targets.
Last year, it welcomed 2.6 million visitors, generating RM5.5 billion in revenue.
In 2023, Sabah recorded 1,754,797 domestic visitors and 858,475 international tourists.
In the first two months of 2024, there were 300,990 domestic and 231,237 foreign tourists.
Notably, Sabah saw a significant number of arrivals from Northeast Asia, with 141,887 visitors, and Southeast Asia, with 64,958 visitors. China topped the list with 91,936 tourists, followed by South Korea with 42,653, and Brunei with 36,066 visitors.
