Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government has allocated RM174.45 million to the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry for 2026, an increase of 10.8 per cent compared with 2025.
The allocation is aimed at fully supporting the implementation of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), said its Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
The Ministry is currently formulating strategies to sustain this positive momentum through the organisation of Visit Sabah Year 2027, ensuring continuous, sustainable and inclusive growth of the tourism industry, he said in his winding up speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
Based on visitor arrival trends from 2022 to 2024, he said Sabah recorded strong growth, with an average of 2.6 million visitors annually.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported that Sabah’s tourism industry contributed 12 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared with the previous year.
He said the growth was driven by expansion in several key sub-sectors, including retail trade at 3.2 per cent, accommodation and food and beverage services at 3.5 per cent, travel agencies and reservation services at 5.9 per cent, as well as passenger transport services and retail sales of automotive fuel at 9.0 per cent.
The tourism industry also contributed to employment growth, providing jobs for 387,600 people, equivalent to 22.6 per cent of the State’s total workforce.
“As of October 2025, Sabah recorded 3.09 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 17.4 per cent compared with the same period last year.
“Tourism expenditure was estimated at RM7.18 billion, representing 88.4 per cent of the target of 3.5 million visitors for the year.
“This performance indicates that Sabah is on the right track to achieve its tourism targets,” he said.
The increase was driven largely by higher flight connectivity, with 98 per cent of arrivals entering the State by air.
A total of 450 domestic flights, with a weekly seat capacity of 77,880, connect Sabah to various states in Malaysia.
Internationally, Sabah is linked to 15 destinations, with 138 flights per week and a total seat capacity of 25,463.
Several new routes to Sabah were launched this year.
Hong Kong Express commenced flights from Hong Kong on Nov 28, Xiamen Air began flights from Fuzhou on March 28, AirAsia launched flights from Hangzhou on June 11 and Batik Air commenced flights from Incheon, South Korea, on Sept 13.
More recently, he said Sabah received a special charter flight operated by Loong Air from Shenzhen to Tawau on Dec 6, carrying 143 passengers.
Several incidents over the past two years have prompted the Ministry to tighten control measures and enforcement.
Among the measures implemented are the certification of Stand Up Paddle (SUP) guides for the increasingly popular activity among tourists, particularly from China, which is frequently observed at Tanjung Aru.
The Ministry has also established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for several tourism activities, particularly water-based recreational activities, and developed safety materials, including videos and informational content, at tourism product entry points and the State’s main airports.
A Tourist Safety Monitoring Unit has been established to regulate, monitor and coordinate issues and incidents involving tourist safety in the State.
The Sabah Tourism Board has also set up a Crisis Management Team operating 24 hours a day to ensure immediate assistance can be provided to tourists facing emergencies or unexpected situations.
In addition, the Ministry has introduced direct communication platforms via WhatsApp and WeChat to facilitate faster, more efficient and effective assistance for tourists.
The main focus under the 13th Malaysia Plan from 2026 to 2030 is to create and diversify new tourism products that are sustainable, innovative and enriched with local cultural and environmental value.
Key projects include the development of a new State Museum, the establishment of the Kota Kinabalu Performing Arts Centre and the construction of the Arte Museum, a digital museum.
In 2026, he said Sabah Parks will open a hostel building at Km 4, Layang-Layang, Mount Kinabalu. The facility will allow climbers to stay longer and dine before continuing their ascent to the summit.
From mid-2026, he said the Department of Environment will receive powers from the Federal Government under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 relating to environmental matters, beginning with scheduled waste management.
Strategic preparations are underway, including legislation, guidelines and regulations on scheduled waste, the development of a web-based management system and measures to strengthen capacity and competency within the Department of Environment.
He said the Wildlife Department will further strengthen enforcement measures and plans to introduce innovative enforcement approaches.
He added that Sabah Parks has proposed several locations to be gazetted as park areas, including the waters of Tambisan, the former Mamut mine, Mantanani Island, Mengalum Island and Ligitan Island.
