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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah aims to be a cycling destination for Indian tourists, with the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) working to attract more visitors this year under Visit Malaysia 2026.

“Indian tourist arrivals to Sabah have been growing steadily, increasing from 9,000 in 2024 to nearly 12,000 in 2025,” said STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit when met at a dinner reception for the Sabah North Borneo Cycling familiarisation group, here, Wednesday.

The group comprise participants from the Chennai Cycling Association. The tour is part of the STB’s efforts to boost the State’s presence in the Indian market and attract more visitors.

“The target for this year is 13,000 arrivals, which could be exceeded if promotional efforts succeed,” Julinus said.

“The cycling tourism plan takes advantage of India’s large cycling community, with more than 5,000 cycling clubs across the country and around 100,000 cyclists nationwide.

“Chennai alone has over 10,000 cyclists, creating good opportunities for word-of-mouth marketing.

“If you look at it individually, the numbers may not seem big. But when you consider the combined impact and the multiplier effect of all the exposure they generate, it can bring in more tourists than just their follower count suggests,” he added.

He said Sabah has and will continue to promote itself based on three main attractions, namely, culture, adventure and nature, which appeal strongly to Indian visitors.

“Indian visitors who come to Sabah, they really like our nature, our wildlife,” he said.

While confident that local businesses can handle the increasing Indian tourist numbers, Julinus acknowledged there is room for improvement.

“We have been talking in the STB that probably we are going to have more awareness or education on how we can best serve Indian visitors to Sabah,” he said.

Tour packages are expected to suit different budgets, from five-star hotels to more affordable homestays, though final prices have not been set.

The STB is scheduled to take part in the Outbound Travel Mart 2026 in Mumbai next week, where the Ride Sabah North Borneo Cycling Tour is scheduled for launch.

Meanwhile,  the Ride Sabah North Borneo Cycling Familiarisation Tour kicked off on Jan 26 with 10 members of the Chennai Cycling Association on a five-day familiarisation tour exploring Sabah’s varied landscapes on bicycles.

The group was led by Tourism Malaysia Chennai in collaboration with Royal Brunei Airlines.

Julinus flagged off the participants at the STB building, joined by Tourism Malaysia-Chennai Director Hishamuddin Mustafa and Tourism Malaysia Sabah Director Haryanty Abu Bakar.

The tour, themed “Sabah Cycling Paradise, Malaysia Truly Asia”, covered major destinations including Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Kudat, Kundasang and Tamparuli, featuring coastal views, highlands and cultural towns.

Hishamuddin, who was present at the dinner reception,  said Tourism Malaysia’s Chennai office, which covers South India and Sri Lanka markets, recorded 1.5 million visitors to Malaysia in 2025.

“South India accounts for 55 per cent of the 42,000 weekly seats from India to Malaysia, with 24,000 seats originating from the southern region,” he said, noting that Indian arrivals are seeing double-digit growth compared to 2024, with cycling and eco-tourism activities becoming more popular worldwide.

“Research in 2020 showed that the number of golfers has changed into cycling activities. So, we believe that we can tap into this market, not only from India but from all over the world to come to Sabah,” he said.

He noted Sabah’s strengths, including quality cycling routes, food, hospitality and attractions, while praising local tour company Trek Finders for professional route planning and support services.

Addressing concerns about the Nipah virus reported in West Bengal, Hishamuddin said the Malaysian Government is conducting health checks for Indian travellers as a safety measure.

“West Bengal is actually located near the Bangladesh side. We are from Chennai, we are far away, actually, from Calcutta, even Mumbai and Delhi,” he said, expressing confidence that Visit Malaysia 2026 targets would not be affected.

Meanwhile, the Royal Brunei Airlines is making it easier for Indian tourists to visit through three weekly flights from Chennai to Brunei and 10 weekly flights from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu.

East Malaysia Sales Manager Philip Lokupi said the airline is offering attractive prices for cycling tour programmes and working with Tourism Malaysia on promotional activities during the visa-free period for Indian tourists under Visit Malaysia 2026.