By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Close cooperation between states is vital as the country approaches the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, said Tourism Malaysia Sabah Director Haryanty Abu Bakar.
“We must intensify efforts to promote intrastate tourism by encouraging travellers from one state to explore the unique attractions of another.
“This is not only relevant between Sabah and Kedah but should also involve the entire nation to ensure that domestic tourism continues to grow inclusively and sustainably,” she said.
She said this during the B2B Experience Kedah 2025 Programme organised by Tourism Kedah at a hotel here.
To strengthen inter-state tourism networks, she said there had been positive developments in direct flight connectivity between Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
Currently, airlines such as AirAsia and Firefly offer up to 21 direct flights weekly, including morning, afternoon and evening options.
This provides flexibility for tourists and business travellers to plan their journeys more conveniently and comfortably, she added.
Among the new tourism products shaping Sabah’s landscape are The Majulan Hotel in Penampang, offering modern accommodation with full facilities; in Semporna, the Wyndham Semporna Resort project will feature luxurious overwater villas.
In downtown Kota Kinabalu, the opening of Tree Have Gold, a four-storey souvenir shop selling a wide range of local products from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia including fresh durians, is another highlight.
She also mentioned the KK Hop-On Hop-Off (KK HOHO) service, which enables visitors to explore major city attractions in a relaxed and informative way.
The new DBKK Jetty, modern and tourist-friendly, now serves as a strategic gateway for maritime tourism activities in Kota Kinabalu, she said.
“These products not only enrich Sabah’s tourism offerings but also strengthen the state’s image as a world-class tourism destination,” she said.
Haryanty said Sabah’s tourism sector continues to recover, with over 2.4 million visitor arrivals recorded from January to August 2025, generating tourism revenue exceeding RM5.75 billion.
Of this total, 1.4 million were domestic visitors, while 1.029 million were international visitors, she said.
Even more encouraging, Sabah surpassed its 2024 target of three million visitors, achieving RM7.28 billion in tourism receipts — a remarkable accomplishment.
Kedah Tourism General Manager Mohd Zaidy Omar said they brought 16 tourism products to promote both Langkawi and mainland Kedah.
“We are holding a business-to-business session with 45 tourism operators from Sabah.
“We want to widen the network and strengthen relations because we have direct flights from Sabah to Penang. From Penang to Kedah, it is only about an hour’s drive.
“We can also use public transport, ferry and train services to Kedah. That’s why we are here,” he said.
Zaidy said they would bring visitors from Kedah to Sabah and vice versa to strengthen tourism links between both states.
He said Kedah Tourism is aiming to attract seven million visitors to Kedah during VM2026, with at least 100,000 from Sabah to the mainland and another 100,000 to Langkawi Island, which would be a great achievement.
For Kedah, he said, the focus will be on promoting community-based and Islamic tourism, as Kedah is recognised as the origin of Islam in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Kedah has a different history from the Sultanate of Melaka. The cradle of Malaysian civilisation began with Kedah Tua, and this package emphasises its history and heritage as an ancient kingdom.
“All forms of civilisation began in Kedah from animism to Hinduism, Buddhism and finally Islam. This is what we want to highlight.
“We have the Sungai Batu archaeological site to prove that all these religions once existed there,” he added.
Also present were Kuah Assemblyman Amar Pared Mahamud and Chief Assistant Director (Corporate) of Sabah Parks, A.K. Mohd Rodzan Pg. Dahlan.
