Sabah scores RM5 million in tourist receipts just from two Chinese groups

 By Olivia Miwil - March 17, 2024 @ 9:51am

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah registered a revenue of RM5 million in tourism receipts by just having two groups of tourists from China.

One the groups was categorised under the for meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) group.

Sri Pelancongan Sabah chairman Ken Pan Ying On said their two-week stay in Sabah with a packed holiday programme, plus a company annual gala, generated income for tourism stakeholders in Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang, Tuaran and Semporna.

"This is a head start for Sabah's tourism industry for 2024. MICE groups have high spending power, and this in turn boosts the local economy.

"Air connectivity has improved with more direct flights from major Chinese cities to Kota Kinabalu, allowing tourists to experience various types of travel.

"These include leisure tourism, sightseeing tours, cultural tourism, diving, mountain climbing, forest adventures and underwater world explorations. All these activities mean spending money in Sabah," he said in a statement.

From late February to early March, the first group of 182 tourists from Wuhan who are involved in the beauty industry enjoyed Sabah's blue skies and seas, unparalleled underwater world and luxurious seaside resorts, coupled with fresh seafood.

The second group of 450 tourists from the IT industry in Beijing arrived here in four batches.

"They stayed for six consecutive nights at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, where they successfully held their company's annual gala.

"The guests also experienced Sabah's thrilling water sports, beautiful sunset yacht tours, ecotourism in mangrove forests, and the natural beauty of Mount Kinabalu, among other activities."

Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the state was gaining momentum as a preferred MICE destination.

"With the gradual recovery of the Chinese tourism market, the ministry through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) will actively promote the development of the state's tourism industry, while also increasing support for high-end tourism businesses.

"Now that we have established the Sabah Convention Bureau, we expect more MICE groups from China, among other countries, to visit Sabah this year."