KOTA KINABALU: Industry players in Sabah’s tourism sector have been urged to develop new attractions to ensure the state remains a top destination for travellers during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
“Although Sabah has set a target of 3.7 million visitors, we must prepare for a potential surge in arrivals ahead of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Therefore, industry players must be ready and innovative in introducing fresh tourism products for the state,” said its Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sabah Cultural Complex in Kinarut, Papar, on Saturday (Jan 25).
He said the state government had allocated RM102.87mil to the Tourism, Culture, and Environment Ministry in 2025.
Hajiji said that Sabah’s tourism industry needs more unique attractions to appeal to both domestic and international visitors.
He also said that tourism entrepreneurs, particularly young innovators, could leverage new technologies to promote culturally inspired tourism and develop new tourism products that would create job opportunities.
Regarding the soon-to-be-built Sabah Cultural Complex, Hajiji said it would feature the Cultural Village and the Cultural Centre. It would become a tourist attraction and complement existing cultural centres in the state.
The construction of the Sabah Cultural Complex was a public-private partnership.
The Chief Minister assured that the project would be developed per established guidelines and regulations.
