By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Tourism Malaysia (TM) are aligning their tourism promotion strategies following the extension of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign to the end of 2027.
This was discussed during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur between an STB delegation led by chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is also Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah, and TM chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy.
Manoharan briefed the Sabah delegation on TM’s current focus on domestic tourism and the Asean region as priority markets following the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
Joniston said STB would continue to support coordination to ensure consistency in promotional direction between federal and state tourism initiatives.
He said both parties recognised the importance of regular engagement to support the success of the Visit Malaysia campaign and Visit Sabah 2027.
“With the Visit Malaysia campaign now extended, it is important that we align our efforts so that Sabah’s strengths are effectively positioned within the broader national strategy.
“This alignment will ensure that Sabah is clearly represented within Malaysia’s overall tourism direction,” he said after the meeting.
Joniston added that Sabah would continue to emphasise cultural and nature-based tourism under its Visit Sabah 2027 campaign, with Kaamatan playing a central role in strengthening destination identity.
TM expressed support for Sabah’s direction and indicated its readiness to facilitate promotional efforts, including providing advertising space in strategic locations to enhance the visibility of Sabah’s tourism campaigns.
The meeting also discussed administrative coordination for tourism grant applications, with TM suggesting that submissions include endorsement letters from the State Government to streamline evaluation processes.
Joniston said Sabah would endorse qualified applicants who meet the grant requirements, in line with established criteria to strengthen coordination between state and federal tourism initiatives.
Joniston (eighth, right), and Manoharan (seventh, left), with TM and STB delegations after the meeting
