By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: To enhance its status as a sustainable and culturally vibrant tourism destination ahead of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, Tourism Malaysia conducted an engagement session with Sabah tourism industry stakeholders at a hotel here.
The engagement session was officiated by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
Also present were Tourism Malaysia Director-General, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, as well as Tourism Malaysia Board Members and senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).
Attending the session were leading industry players, associations, airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies, and product owners.
The objective of this engagement session was to provide a comprehensive overview of the VM2026 campaign and its strategic roadmap, as well as updates on the incentives and matching grants offered by the ministry.
These include Galakan Melancong (GAMELAN), Geran Sokongan Sektor Pelancongan (GSSP), Geran Sektor Penerbangan dan Carter (GSPC), and Geran Sokongan Sektor Kebudayaan (GSSK).
The VM2026 roadmap is built on three core strategies – creating demand, increasing traffic, and prioritising target markets.
Key initiatives will include branding and marketing blitzes, strategic partnerships for joint promotions with tactical campaigns, and market segmentation.
Furthermore, Sabah Tourism remains committed to aligning with the Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) strategy, which signifies the core qualities that have established Sabah as a must-visit travel destination in Malaysia.
Hence, the VM2026 theme – Malaysia: A Sustainable and Culturally Rich Destination – reflects the government’s commitment to attracting high-income tourists and strengthening Malaysia’s competitiveness as a top international destination.
Manoharan expressed that the collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and Sabah’s tourism industry stakeholders is a testament to the valuable synergy between the public and private sectors.
“By working together on joint initiatives and activities, we aim to further promote Malaysia’s diverse tourism offerings and position the country as a top travel destination.
“Through this non-exclusive partnership, we look forward to leveraging their expertise to support the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026,” he said.
Malaysia welcomed 38 million visitor arrivals from January to November 2024, marking a growth of 31.1 per cent compared to the previous year’s 29 million.
The top ten tourist-generating markets were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Brunei, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Liew shared that Sabah’s tourism sector has shown remarkable recovery and growth in 2024.
“As of the end of last year, we welcomed 3.14 million visitors, exceeding our initial target of 3 million.
“This surge in arrivals generated approximately RM7.28 billion in tourism receipts, underscoring the sector’s vital contribution to Sabah’s economy,” she said.
A significant factor contributing to this success has been our commitment to enhancing air connectivity, she added.
Partnerships with airlines such as AirAsia and Royal Brunei Airlines have created new avenues for travel, increasing both direct and transit arrivals.
Moving forward, she said Sabah aims to attract 3.5 million tourists in 2025, with AirAsia alone committing to bringing five million passengers to Sabah through Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Tawau airports.
