Sabah Achieves 2025 Tourist Arrival Target

23 January 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Former Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Seri Christina Liew, has expressed her delight at Sabah reaching its target of 3.5 million tourist arrivals for 2025.

She attributed this success to the unwavering efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (KePKAS) and its agencies, including the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB), Sabah Parks Board of Trustees, State Museum Department, Sabah Cultural Board (LKNS), Sabah Wildlife Department, Environment Protection Department, and Sabah-Malaysia My Second Home (Sabah-MM2H) Committee.

Liew also credited the state's tourism stakeholders, tour and travel agents, tour operators and guides, transport providers, hotels, restaurants, cultural centres, tourism-related organisations, and the culinary association, for their contributions to Sabah’s tourism growth. Special mention was made of those promoting Kota Kinabalu as a gastronomic hub.

She commended STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit and his dedicated team for their commendable efforts in marketing Sabah as an attractive travel destination, both physically and through digital media platforms.

According to the former minister, STB has consistently showcased and promoted Sabah’s key attractions and services internationally, in collaboration with other government agencies under KePKAS.

“Congratulations to all government agencies, stakeholders, and private sector individuals who have played a vital role in promoting Sabah globally. I am truly very pleased."

"I won’t go into specifics, but I can confirm that tourist and visitor numbers from both international and domestic markets have experienced double-digit growth compared to 2024,” Liew stated on Friday.

With 2025 designated as Visit Malaysia Year, Liew remains optimistic that Sabah’s new tourism products and upgraded facilities will attract even more visitors.

During her tenure (2018–2020 and 2023–2025), she led delegations from KePKAS and STB to various countries to actively promote Sabah as a premier tourist destination, including a notable visit to Abu Dhabi, UAE, where she introduced Sabah to 1,500 delegates from 78 countries, many of whom had not previously heard of Sabah, at the 63rd International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) World Congress in 2024.

In 2023, she officially launched Sabah’s rebranding with the slogan ‘Feel Sabah, North Borneo’ at the ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, joined by then Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.