Sabah and Tourism Malaysia Unite for 2027 Tourism Push

Representatives from the Sabah Tourism Board led by Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (8th right) and Tourism Malaysia led by Chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy (7th left) commemorating the event

22 April 2026

PUTRAJAYA: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and Tourism Malaysia held productive discussions here yesterday (21 April) to align promotional strategies, following the extension of the Visit Malaysia campaign to end-2027.

STB was led by Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, also Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah, while Tourism Malaysia was represented by Chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy.

Manoharan updated the Sabah delegation on Tourism Malaysia’s priorities, emphasising domestic tourism and ASEAN markets amid geopolitical challenges.

Joniston (right) presents a list of Sabah events to Manoharan during a discussion engagement in Putrajaya

This shift supports the extended campaign period.

Joniston affirmed STB’s commitment to ongoing coordination for consistent federal-state promotion.

Both sides stressed regular engagement to ensure the success of Visit Malaysia Year and Visit Sabah 2027.

“With the campaign now extended to end-2027, aligning efforts is crucial to position Sabah’s strengths within the national strategy,” Joniston said after the meeting.

“This will ensure Sabah is prominently featured in Malaysia’s tourism direction.”

He highlighted Sabah’s focus on cultural and nature-based tourism via Visit Sabah 2027, with events like Kaamatan central to building destination identity.

Tourism Malaysia voiced strong support for Sabah’s approach and pledged assistance, including advertising space in key locations to boost visibility.

The meeting also covered streamlined administrative coordination for tourism grant applications.