The Sabah North Borneo Cycling Paradise and other destination offerings were unveiled at the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre here.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening engagement with the Indian market at one of Asia’s leading travel trade events.
The cycling product was launched at the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion on Feb 5, which serves as a platform to promote niche and experience-based travel products to the Indian market.
Present at the launch were Malaysia’s Consul General in Mumbai Ahmad Zuwairi Yusoff; Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy; Tourism Malaysia Asia-Africa senior director Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi; Tourism Malaysia Mumbai director Noriah Jaafar; and Sabah Tourism Board deputy chief executive officer (product and research) Humphrey Ginibun.
The cycling product offers a mix of coastal routes, highland scenery, rural towns and local cultural experiences, providing travellers with an active way to explore Sabah.
The Sabah Tourism Board participated in OTM 2026 from Feb 5 to 7, supporting Visit Malaysia 2026 while building early momentum for Visit Sabah 2027.
Under the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion, six Sabah-based tour operators and a resort partner were featured, allowing for networking, business discussions and the promotion of adventure, nature and resort tourism.
The participating companies were Borneo Trails Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, Borneo Nature Tours, Borneo Sandakan Tours, Funholiday Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, WB Tours and Travels Sdn Bhd, and Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort.
Sabah continues to attract international travellers with its beaches, islands, resorts, diving sites, wildlife and indigenous cultures. The state had also been recognised as a wedding destination for Indian couples before the pandemic.
Last year, arrivals from India increased by 21.1 per cent, from 9,316 to 11,282, highlighting the market’s recovery and its importance to Sabah’s long-term tourism growth.
Sabah is accessible from India via Singapore with 18 weekly flights to Kota Kinabalu; via Brunei with nine weekly flights; and via Kuala Lumpur with 189 weekly connecting flights to Kota Kinabalu, 61 weekly flights to Tawau and 34 weekly connecting flights to Sandakan.
