Kota Kinabalu: Sabah garnered RM3.5 million in sales during the recently concluded Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur, said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
Joniston, also the Sabah Tourism Board Chairman, said the Sabah CAN (Culture, Adventure and Nature) themed packages were the mostly highly sought by visitors.
“Over 200 CAN packages were sold, with island-hopping and the Mari Mari Cultural Village being the most popular choices.
“We hope this positive outcome translates into more tourist arrivals, further boosting the State’s economy,” he said.
Joniston noted an increasing interest in off-the-beaten-path destinations and community-based tourism experiences.
To further promote these offerings, he said Sabah will hold its first Community-Based Tourism Fair at IOI Mall, Putrajaya, from Oct 16-20.
“This fair will allow visitors to explore unique community-based tourism packages further and discover hidden gems in Sabah’s rural areas,” he said.
STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit noted that Sabah also generated over RM6,000 in product sales at the Sabah Tourism Board Pavilion within three days.
The sales included Kadaiku (RM2,088.10), Sabah Tea (RM943) and Yit Foh Coffee (RM3,564.20).
Sabah Tea and Yit Foh Coffee are iconic agro products that enrich the offerings in Ranau and Tenom, while Kadaiku showcases a diverse range of unique handicrafts.
Julinus said promoting these products is essential, as they complement tourism efforts and align with Sabah’s reputation for agrotourism.
“Our goal is to enhance awareness of Sabah’s unique offerings, which not only supports local businesses but also enriches the overall visitor experience,” he said.
He added that the launch of the Top 5 Mountains in Sabah campaign at the Matta Fair would help position Sabah as the adventure hub of South East Asia and beyond.
The campaign features Malaysia’s highest peaks located in Sabah - Mount Kinabalu, Mount Trus Madi, Mount Sinsing, Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Kaingaran.
The recent Matta Fair saw Sabah and Sarawak teamed up to promote Discover Borneo as Malaysia’s favourite destinations at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) in Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 33 travel agents from Sabah participated in the fair from Sept 6-8 to showcase the State’s diverse tourism products to visitors.
