Sabah Tourism Board set its sights on boosting its share of European visitors to the State during the ITB Berlin 2025.
Present at ITB Berlin, Julinus Jeffery Jimit, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board, was pleased with the outcome of the show for this Malaysian state located in northern Borneo. “2024 was a great year for us as we did not expect such a fast recovery of our markets. We initially targeted 3 million domestic and international travellers last year, but we managed to surpass that with 3.15 million travellers. That was an amazing outcome driven by China,” he explained.
Sabah’s presence at ITB Berlin is considered essential as the state is wanting to further boost the total number of travellers from Europe. European arrivals have already exceeded pre-Covid figures. “We welcomed over 80,000 Europeans last year, with the UK and Germany being our main market,” said Mr Jimit.
When asked what Sabah Tourism is doing to help grow the European market, Mr Jimit underlined Sabah’s wildlife, culture and adventure opportunities. “We are also growing strong in terms of sustainability. We, along with other government agencies are committed to upholding the UN sustainable development goals and this draws positive attention from travellers.” For nature-lovers, the Maulia Basin, Danum Valley, and Imbak Canyon feature pritine jungles and have the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Certification. “We also have Sipadan, one of the world’s top diving spots, so we try to position it with European markets,” he added.
Connectivity is another important factor in attracting European and other travellers. They are able to reach Sabah via direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or even Bali. Sabah is also attracting major hotel groups and resorts. In addition, the Sabah International Convention Centre is another draw for business and event travellers. The venue can accommodate 6,000 people and is located in a scenic area, right by the sea. These offerings, along with Sabah’s cultural heritage and wildlife are enticing advantages that are driving interest from travellers around the world.
