Cruise Industry Players Explore Sabah’s Tourism Potential

27 January 2026

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has strong potential to further develop as a cruise tourism destination, driven by growing interest from international cruise operators.

This was conveyed to Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai during a luncheon meeting with cruise industry representatives.

The meeting followed a site visit by cruise industry players — including SATS-Creuers Cruise Services, the Singapore Tourism Board and international cruise liners — to assess tourism offerings in the state capital.

SATS-Creuers Cruise Services Chief Executive Officer Gregory Tan said cruise operators are constantly seeking suitable day-excursion attractions for passengers, noting that Mari-Mari Cultural Village and Kinabalu Park remain popular options among cruise visitors.

“Cruise ships typically arrive early in the morning and depart by sunset. Therefore, it is important to offer a wider range of accessible attractions within the city and surrounding suburbs to enhance the overall passenger experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marella Cruises Head of Marine and Operations Joel Christopher Hipple said Sabah has the potential to attract more cruise ships, highlighting port infrastructure — particularly berth depth — as a key consideration for cruise deployment.

Currently, Kota Kinabalu Port has an approximate depth of nine metres, while Sandakan Port is about seven metres deep, with certain areas affected by sandbanks.

Nevertheless, Sandakan was highlighted as a strong nature-based destination, offering readily available and easily accessible attractions for cruise passengers.

Joniston said STB welcomes initiatives that bring in visitors and generate tourism spending spillovers, particularly for the local economy and surrounding communities.

“Collaboration between STB and cruise industry players can be further strengthened to better understand how we can jointly promote cruise tourism and Sabah in general, especially for short-stay and day visitors, by leveraging cruise ship arrivals,” he said.

He was also briefed on Suria Capital Holdings Bhd’s efforts to attract more cruise ships to Sabah, with 25 cruise ship calls confirmed this year, bringing in close to 30,000 passengers.

In 2025, Sabah recorded 23 cruise ship calls with 24,634 passengers, comprising 19 calls at Kota Kinabalu Port and four at Sandakan Port — nearly double compared with 2024, which saw 14 ship calls and 16,727 passengers.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah recorded a total of 30 cruise ship calls in 2019, with 36,183 passengers.