Home » Aviation News » Sabah Tourism Board partners with AirAsia to boost tourism, plans 14 new flight routes
Thursday, July 4, 2024
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AirAsia and the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at boosting Sabah’s tourism industry over the next five years.
The cooperation aims to elevate Sabah, known as the “Land Beneath the Wind”, into a premier tourism destination by enhancing air connectivity within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and across ASEAN, North Asia and Oceania from 2024 to 2028.
AirAsia Group’s aim is to expand connectivity in Sabah with the introduction of 14 new domestic and international routes. These routes include Kota Kinabalu-Bandar Seri Begawan, Kota Kinabalu-Perth, Tawau-Guangzhou, Sandakan-Hong Kong etc. The decision to launch these routes depends on market analysis, regulatory approvals and other favourable market conditions which will be assessed in the coming months.
Additionally, the partnership also includes strengthening collaboration between AirAsia and STB to explore developing Kota Kinabalu International Airport into a regional aviation hub in the future.
Ms Christina Liew, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah, said: “We are pleased to enter into a five-year strategic partnership with AirAsia, which will help bridge the dialogue between the airline and relevant stakeholders. Over the past few months, Sabah has emerged as one of the most affordable travel destinations and AirAsia has played a key role in realising this milestone. In the first half of this year, we have welcomed 1.24 million tourists to Sabah so far. We are confident that AirAsia’s vast reach will enable us to attract even more tourists and showcase the unique experiences Sabah has to offer to travellers outside the region.”
“When tourism thrives, it creates a ripple effect that benefits local economies in a variety of ways. Tourism creates direct jobs in a variety of sectors, including hospitality, transportation and retail. As of 2022, tourism accounts for 22.8% of employment in the state, including jobs in hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and local attractions. The influx of tourists provides local businesses with additional revenue and supports small businesses in the area. Additionally, tourism growth spurs the development of infrastructure such as roads, airports and public buildings, benefiting both tourists and residents in the future.”
Sabah Tourism Board CEO Julinas Jeffrey Zimit added that with 90 percent of arrivals to Sabah coming by air, this strategic partnership would create more travel opportunities and he thanked AirAsia for their collaborative camaraderie.
Captain Chester Vu, Deputy Group CEO (Aviation), AirAsia Aviation Group, said: “This partnership marks an important step in expanding connectivity from Malaysia’s second largest hub, giving our customers more opportunities to explore the world and the world more opportunities to get to know and fall in love with Sabah. Since 2002, we have served around 80 million domestic and international customers to Sabah and we hope this partnership will help grow this figure exponentially over the next five years.”
“In 2023 alone, AirAsia flights will account for 60% of Sabah’s tourism market share, highlighting the region’s immense potential as a leading travel destination. Improved connectivity will attract more international tourists to visit Sabah, fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding, leading to new opportunities across sectors. With the continued support of our customers and partners, we are confident that AirAsia will play a pivotal role in transforming Sabah into a vibrant tourism hub, driving economic growth and improving the lives of its people.”
AirAsia Group operates flights to 23 destinations in and out of Sabah, with a total of 294 weekly flights. These destinations include flights from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Hong Kong, Seoul etc; flights from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru; flights from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur. These routes do not include destinations within Sabah.
