KOTA KINABALU: Efforts are underway to attract visitors from Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, to Sabah next year to boost international arrivals.
Fun Holiday managing director Connie Chong said a tentative schedule for charter flights was being planned for April 2027, coinciding with the spring season when visitors can see the famous peony blooms.
She said the cooperation would also allow Sabah visitors to explore their ancestral roots in Zhengzhou, where a plaza was built to commemorate 72 surnames as part of a cultural celebration.
Chong said these were among initiatives discussed under the Belt and Road cooperation framework after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zhengzhou Culture, Tourism and Sports Group deputy general manager Lucy Liu at the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce office.
The agreement aims to strengthen tourism exchanges between Sabah and Zhengzhou through inbound tourism, destination marketing, cultural exchanges and tourism product development.
Chong said both sides would leverage their respective strengths to promote tourism attractions and create more opportunities for visitors and travel operators from the two destinations.
“Through this partnership, we hope to strengthen tourism links between Malaysia and Zhengzhou by creating more opportunities for travel operators, businesses and visitors from both destinations,” she said.
Under the agreement, both parties will explore cooperation in tourism promotion, product development and market expansion.
Chong said the partnership would help strengthen Sabah’s tourism links with China and contribute to regional tourism cooperation. -Paul Mu
Chong (right), and Liu (left), exchanging signed MoU under the Belt and Road cooperation framework.
