KOTA KINABALU, Sept 20 — Sabah tourist arrivals rose 4.1 per cent from January to August, disproving talk of a slump in the state’s tourism sector.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal said there had been an increase in both international and domestic arrivals during the period.

“The talk that Sabah’s tourism is declining is not true at all,” he said after officiating the opening ceremony of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Fair Sabah at the Sabah International Convention Centre, here, Saturday.

“From January to August this year, tourist numbers increased 4.1 per cent. International arrivals rose about 6.9 per cent, while local Malaysian visitors grew 2.1 per cent compared with last year,” he said.

For the record, this is the second Matta Fair held in Sabah this year, following the first edition in April.

“This time, we brought in travel agents to offer very attractive packages to draw more tourists to Sabah,” he said.

“On behalf of the State Government, I greatly appreciate and support initiatives like this by Matta to increase tourist arrivals and to promote Sabah to the world,” he added.

Asked whether the fair was part of preparations for Visit Sabah 2027, Dr Andi said it was.

“Certainly, Matta Fair is one of the programmes we have planned. God willing, in November we will release the full calendar for Visit Sabah 2027,” he said.

He said Sabah was also being actively promoted overseas, pointing out that State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin was currently in China to promote the state’s tourism sector.

The three-day fair is being held until today (Sunday) and is open to the public from 10am to 9pm.

It features 83 booths involving 28 tour and travel agencies, three hotels and resorts, two state tourism offices and four other travel-related service providers.

For the record, the April edition attracted an estimated 37,499 visitors and generated about RM24 million in sales.

For this edition, the Matta Sabah Chapter has set a target of 30,000 visitors and RM28 million in sales.

The fair is endorsed by the Sabah Tourism Board, with RHB Bank as the bank partner and Malaysia Aviation Group as the official airline partner and premier sponsor. Tourism Johor is also taking part.

Matta Sabah Chapter Chairman Alex Chong said the fair was more than a platform for selling holiday packages.

“It connects travellers with professional travel agents and tourism businesses while creating opportunities across the wider tourism ecosystem,” he said.

He said this year’s theme, “Discover More. Travel More. Experience More”, reflected the association’s encouragement for Sabahans to explore destinations in Sabah, Malaysia and overseas.

“At the same time, we are promoting Sabah as a destination for domestic and international travellers,” he said.

Present were Matta president Nigel Wong, among others. — Daily Express