KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese tourists ahead of Visit Sabah 2027, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
“China remains an important tourism market for Sabah.
"As we strengthen air connectivity, our destination marketing must also reach travellers through the platforms they use to discover and plan their holidays.
“More flights mean more visitors, and more visitors mean more opportunities for our tourism industry and local communities,” he said.
During a week-long visit to China to promote the state and strengthen air links, Jafry and entourage visited Chongqing, Guiyang, Anshun and Shanghai, with meetings involving airlines, tourism industry players, business representatives, cultural groups and REDnote (Xiaohongshu).
Jafry said Chongqing Airlines’ is providing three-times-weekly direct flight to Sabah; More flights would be available between Sabah and Shanghai by year-end as China Eastern Airlines and Spring Airlines plan to increase flight schedules.
As of press time, Kota Kinabalu also has direct scheduled air connectivity with several destinations in China, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen as well as Hong Kong.
“A direct flight opens the door, but we must give people a reason to keep travelling.
"That is why we are bringing tourism, culture, music, media and business together.
“Better connectivity creates opportunities across our tourism industry, from hotels and tour operators to restaurants, attractions and local businesses,” Jafry said adding the Sabah delegation also promoted tourism, culture, music and industry exchanges, with Malaysian singer Shila Amzah taking part in the programme in Guiyang.
China recorded 578,681 out of 1.1million international arrivals to Sabah in the first eight months of 2026, an increase of 21.6 per cent compared with the same period last year.
Sabah also sought to strengthen its digital presence in China, with more than 10 million searches related to the state recorded on REDnote.
Among the platform’s popular Sabah-related searches are sunsets, mountains, seas and fresh seafood. “This is a very encouraging indication for Sabah.
The interest is already there, and our focus now is to turn that interest into actual visits.
“We want more Chinese travellers to experience Sabah for themselves, from our spectacular sunsets and Mount Kinabalu to our islands, fresh seafood, wildlife and diverse cultures.”
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