By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s tourism industry has shown incredible resilience and has rebounded strongly after the global pandemic.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said this was reflected in the state’s strong start recorded in the first quarter of this year.
“From January to March this year, a total of 923,709 visitors, comprising 366,727 international and 556,982 domestic visitors travelled to Sabah, reflecting a growth of 18.9 per cent,” she said at the launch of the three-day Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair Sabah at the Sabah International Convention Centre here yesterday.
“Tourism receipts for January to March 2025 are estimated at RM2.13 billion, indicating a 17.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
“China remains Sabah’s top international market with 154,319 Chinese visitors, followed by South Korea (57,995 visitors) and Brunei (45,469 arrivals),” said Liew.
Furthermore, she said Sabah continues to innovate in its tourism promotion, including launching the “Top 5 Mountains in Sabah” campaign at the recent Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur on April 18-20, 2025.
“This is to further position Sabah as an adventure tourism hub in Southeast Asia for climbers and trekkers.
“Peaks such as Mount Kinabalu, Mount Trus Madi and Mount Tambuyukon are just some of the highlights under this campaign,” said Liew.
She said Sabah recorded RM4.5 million in sales, a notable increase from the RM3 million achieved in September 2024 at the recent Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur.
“This growth clearly reflects the strong demand and rising appeal of our Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) tourism products,” she said, adding that the bestsellers included island-hopping packages and visits to the Mari Mari Cultural Village.
Liew (centre), and Matta members tour one of the booths after launching the fair.
