KOTA KINABALU: A prominent German global travel agency grouping has endorsed Sabah as a nature and cultural destination by choosing to hold their next regional meeting here.
Based in Frankfurt, Lufthansa City Center (LCC) is expected to bring 45 travel agencies to Sabah for its Asia-Pacific meeting at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru resort here in May, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) said.
In a statement, the board said a previous visit by LCC left a strong impression, leading to Sabah being chosen as their meeting venue.
LCC managing director Heiko Brix and senior business development manager Andrej Skraba expressed admiration for Sabah’s natural beauty, rich culture, and diverse wildlife, calling it an ideal meeting destination.
“We had several options, but after visiting Sabah for a site inspection, we were completely blown away,” they told Tourism, Culture, and Environment assistant minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (pic) at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin) on Tuesday (March 4).
They have requested STB to present on Sabah’s attractions, particularly its nature and community tourism, during their regional meeting, expressing their appreciation to the board.
STB went on to say that the upcoming meeting would further inform travel agencies from Asia-Pacific and Europe on Sabah’s offerings.
Present at the ITB Berlin were STB deputy chairman Datuk Tan Kok Liang, the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary II Alesia Sion and STB chief executive officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit.
Bangkuai, who is STB chairman, suggested that LCC, during their stay in Kota Kinabalu, evaluate the state capital as a potential host for its general assembly, which gathers over 500 LCC entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and global visionaries.
Tan, who is also Malaysian Tourism Federation and the Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations president, was involved in efforts to bring the group to Sabah.
“Sabah has so much to offer, and we look forward to working together to create meaningful opportunities for the tourism industry,” he said.
Founded in 1991, LCC operates as a global travel agency franchiser with a presence of around 600 locations in 110 countries.
Its franchise model combines an international network with localised expertise, ensuring relevance across diverse markets.
Bangkuai is leading the Sabah Tourism Board delegation to the three-day ITB Berlin, which ends Thursday (Mar 6).
