Sabah Tourism Board tasked with attracting three million tourist arrivals in 2024

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah tourism authorities have been tasked with reaching the tourist arrival target this year, which was amended to three million from 2.8 million initially.

More tourists were expected to flock to Sabah this year compared to last year, after the state received 2.5 million visitors in 2023, exceeding the target by 300,000.

As such, the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry had amended the tourist arrival target in 2024, owing to the encouraging development of the tourism sector last year.

Its Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the state collected some RM4.6bil in tourism receipts last year.

"In line with this, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) must work hard in reaching this year’s target," she said, during a press conference on the Chinese New Year Open House 2024 on Monday (Jan 15).

"I am confident this can be achieved after listening to their briefing last week," she added.

Liew had previously told the Sabah state assembly last November that Sabah had set a target of 2.8 million visitors for 2024 and expected to collect some RM5.6bil in tourism receipts from these arrivals.

The Minister said the ministry was aiming to help boost tourist arrivals and reach the target in Sabah by holding more promotional campaigns internationally.

"We have promotions that will take place in Germany, the UK, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and many other places.

"I will not disclose everything but we will learn more of these plans from time to time," Liew said.

She said the ministry will also promote the Sabah-Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) programme, in hope of attracting investors and high-end tourists to come to the Land Below the Wind.

"We will also be more aggressive this year and focus on the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism industry.

"MICE is able to bring about lucrative returns in the investment and business sectors, besides from pulling tourists into Sabah," she said.