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TAWAU: The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment has set a target to further boost the arrival of tourists from East Asia through both chartered and commercial flights to Tawau Airport (LTT) in the upcoming year.

Its Assistant Minister Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal expressed optimism that attracting more foreign tourists, especially from China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as Europe, can be achieved through increased flight operations.

“I’m not only looking at tourists from China, but we will also focus on other countries with an increase in operations of up to four or five chartered flights, including commercial flights.

“We are also planning a larger strategy based on the capacity of LTT, both before and after its upgrading,” he said when welcoming 143 tourists from Shenzhen, China, who arrived via a chartered flight at LTT on Saturday.

Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal believes that once the upgrade work at LTT is completed in 2028, the airport’s capacity will increase, allowing it to handle more international flights.

The ministry is also exploring opportunities to further promote Tawau as a popular tourist destination, through increased campaigns and advertisements targeting foreign tourists.

“Actually, we have a lot of tourism products in Tawau, such as Sabah Hill Park, the stacked rocks, and the amazing food, all of which have the potential to be introduced to the world stage.

“Perhaps in the past, efforts to promote Tawau’s tourism products were insufficient, so we will try to expand those efforts and introduce new methods,” he said.

The ministry is currently planning various programmes and festivals, particularly on the East Coast, to encourage more international tourist arrivals, which will be announced from time to time.

On the arrival of the 143 tourists from Shenzhen, China, he said chartered flights are seen as a practical solution to attract large numbers of tourists.

“No matter their purpose, whether they are visiting Tawau, Semporna, or surrounding areas, we see this initiative as a positive development that can further boost Sabah’s economy.

“Their arrival also contributes to the local economy as they spend money, which helps revive the micro industries in our area, considering that chartered flights bring in large groups of tourists,” he said.

One of the female tourists from Shenzhen, Chu Xiaoli, 30, admitted that charter flights are more expensive than commercial flights but are more comfortable and save time since they do not need to transit in Hong Kong or Guangzhou.

Xiaoli, who was accompanied by her partner, said this was her first visit to Sabah, and she was excited to explore the diving experiences in Semporna, which many of her friends have recommended as one of the best diving destinations.

“I will be here for four days and I am hoping for the best holiday, as we are also celebrating a birthday in Semporna,” she said, describing her trip as a romantic getaway with her partner.

When asked about the welcoming ceremony at LTT, she described it as a sweet and joyful experience, as such surprises had never happened during her travels to other destinations.

Meanwhile, the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) stated that China remains the largest contributor to the tourism industry in Sabah, recording 534,975 arrivals from January to October this year.

Currently, Sabah is connected through direct chartered flights to Kota Kinabalu from seven major cities in China, including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Fuzhou.

STB’s Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit considered the large number of tourists arriving from China via charter flights as a result of their continuous efforts to promote Sabah as a tourism destination.

“We also expect the charter flight service from Shenzhen to LTT to bring over 1,300 tourists, who will be visiting Tawau and Semporna,” he added.