KOTA KINABALU: In the first five months this year, Sabah welcomed 1.44 million visitors, bringing in about RM3.3bil in tourism income, says Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
He said this when speaking at a dinner with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and 15 foreign diplomats and officials from 10 countries in Semporna on Saturday (July 5).
“There have been no kidnapping cases in recent years, which shows how serious ESSCom (Eastern Sabah Security Command) is about keeping our waters and communities safe.
“This also helps the Sabah Tourism Board promote our state as a safe and friendly place to visit,” said Bangkuai.
Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Awang Alik Jeman, Sabah’s Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Josie Lai, Joint Forces commander Datuk Zahani Zainal Abidin, and ESSCom commander Datuk Victor Sanjos, were also present at the event.
Earlier in the day, the group visited Pulau Omadal, Pulau Sibuan, Pulau Bohey Dulang, and Pulau Mataking.
“We are seeing the results of working closely with our security and tourism teams. Tourists feel safe coming here, even to areas once considered risky, and investors are confident about putting money into tourism,” said Bangkuai, who is also the Sabah Tourism Board chairman.
He stated that from the 1.44 million visitors to Sabah, 559,150 were international tourists and 879,420 were local tourists.
China was still Sabah’s biggest foreign market, with 243,688 visitors, followed by South Korea with 76,685.
There was also a significant rise in visitors from Europe, numbering 35,240 between January and May, which was 25.6% higher than the same period last year.
The UK and Ireland brought in 13,910 tourists, followed by Germany (3,854) and France (2,750).
Meanwhile, the United States recorded 9,356 visitors, and Canada had 2,949.
“We are hopeful about the future of tourism in Sabah. With ESSCom’s support and the trust of our visitors, we’re ready to welcome even more tourists in the months to come,” said Bangkuai.
