By WU VUIDE
HUNAN: Sabah is expected to welcome approximately 3,000 tourists from Hunan province in China between March and December 2025, following the introduction of a direct charter flight service between Zhangjiajie and Kota Kinabalu.
The inaugural flight took off on March 14 via Batik Air, carrying 143 passengers from Sabah and Sarawak, including a travel agency delegation on a 9-day, 7-night trip.
The journey takes approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes.
The service will operate once a week from March until December 26, 2025, departing every Friday at 7:15 PM and returning at 12:30 AM early Saturday.
China, particularly Hunan province, has experienced significant economic growth, improving the quality of life for its citizens, who are now eager to travel abroad, said Hunan Zhangjiajie Yuejing International Travel (YJLXS) Proprietor Liu Yi, who hosted a dinner for the delegation at a restaurant.
“Hunan, being a mountainous region, offers fewer opportunities for its residents to see the sea.
“Conversely, places like Sabah and Sarawak have residents who have never seen the magnificent mountain landscapes of Zhangjiajie,” he said.
“The ultimate objective of this charter flight service is to facilitate smoother exchanges between tourists from both countries.
“We want to showcase the beauty of Zhangjiajie to Malaysian travellers and invite them to visit while also bringing more Hunan residents to Sabah.
“In essence, we are building an aerial bridge to foster closer ties. This is our heartfelt aspiration,” said Liu.
He noted that Hunan has a population of nearly 70 million, and once this route is well-established, he believes more tourists will follow.
“Our province is predominantly mountainous, and many of our residents have never seen a beautiful seaside destination like Sabah. This makes Sabah’s islands very appealing to Hunan tourists,” he said.
Before this charter flight was introduced, there were no direct flights available.
“Travellers had a few options. One route was via Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, followed by a connecting flight or a six-hour high-speed train journey to Zhangjiajie.
“Another route involved flying from Kota Kinabalu to Wuhan (the capital of Hubei province), then taking a bus to Zhangjiajie, which would take at least eight hours.
“The lack of direct flights made travel inconvenient for both Malaysians and Chinese tourists. This is precisely why we launched this charter service—to bridge this gap,” said Liu.
Years ago, they operated flights from Changsha to Kota Kinabalu. However, the three-year pandemic halted their tourism operations. Now, as China’s economy recovers, people have more disposable income and are eager to travel again.
“A trip to Sabah costs around 6,000 to 7,000 RMB, which is an affordable holiday for many families. Additionally, the travel time is short—only four to five hours.
“Ideally, I want a balanced passenger ratio of 50:50 between Hunan and Sabah travellers,” said Liu, who has visited Kota Kinabalu many times.
He emphasised that the key factors for Sabah’s tourism growth are convenience and affordability.
“If flights are readily available and reasonably priced, tourists will come. In China, even though we have a long coastline, inland provinces like Hunan, Hubei, and even Shandong and Beijing do not have direct access to the sea,” he said.
“Kota Kinabalu and nearby destinations like Semporna have an excellent reputation among Chinese travellers.
“Many believe Semporna’s beauty surpasses that of Kota Kinabalu itself. Additionally, seafood is a major attraction—Chinese tourists love fresh seafood, and Sabah offers a variety of options at reasonable prices,” Liu added.
The tour itinerary included Furong Town (historic waterfall town), Fenghuang Ancient City (riverside charm, nightscape), Xiangxi Miao Village (ethnic culture and rituals), Aizhai Bridge (world’s largest canyon suspension bridge), Tianmen Mountain (sky-high glass walkway, 99-bend mountain road), Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and Glass Bridge (famous sky bridge), and Huanglong Cave (massive underground karst formations).
