KOTA KINABALU, 6 March 2024: Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore, hosted a familiarisation trip to Sabah, presenting Malaysian Borneo as an exciting and value-for-money travel destination.
The six-day/five-night fam trip started with a product briefing held at the Sabah International Convention Centre, where 20 travel agents from Singapore could connect with 18 local representatives, including travel agents, tourism product owners, and hoteliers from Sabah.
The fam trip enaabled Singapore’s outbound tour operators to explore Sabah’s tourism offerings and gain first-hand information on the state’s sustainable and responsible tourism products focusing on cultural heritage, nature, islands, and diverse cuisine.
It was part of an ongoing marketing initiative hosting presentations for Singapore tour operators, launched in 2022 and tagged the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme. A brainchild of the Tourism Malaysia Singapore office, it fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing between Malaysian tourism industry players and their Singapore counterparts, encouraging the creation of new business partnerships, contract renewals, product updates, and the development of attractive travel packages specifically designed for tourists from Singapore.
Since its inception in Johor Bahru, subsequent sessions have been hosted in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan; the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme has generated enthusiastic participation, creating 157 diverse travel packages.
Visit Malaysia Year 2026
Tourism Malaysia described the programme as a “valuable avenue to create more high-quality travel experiences in attracting visitors to Sabah and Malaysia as the country gears up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”
The ASEAN market has predominantly been the primary contributor to Malaysia’s tourism sector, with Singapore ranking as the top source of tourist-generating markets, contributing significantly to the 8.3 million arrivals in 2023.
Malaysia aims to welcome 27.3 million tourists in 2024, generating MYR102.7 billion in revenue. The forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 has set an ambitious target of 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals, with a target receipt of MYR147.1 billion.
For more information on Sabah, visit www.sabahtourism.com.
