KOTA KINABALU: AirAsia's launching of a new Kota-Kinabalu to Seoul route today is poised to contribute significantly to the growth of tourism and trade in the state capital.

AirAsia Malaysia's chief executive officer Riad Asmat said they were thrilled to be the first Malaysian airline to connect Kota Kinabalu directly to Seoul.

"This route holds an immense potential for both leisure and business travellers, offering them affordable access to two remarkable tourism destinations.

"The launch of this route also aligns with our vision of connecting communities across Asia, fostering economic growth, and enhancing regional integration.

"With this expansion, AirAsia further cements Kota Kinabalu as its second largest hub in Malaysia with nine domestic and nine international destinations, boosting the city's status as a vibrant aviation hub," he said in a statement.

As part of the route launch, AirAsia is offering special promotional fares for travellers from Kota Kinabalu to Seoul with all-in * fares from RM349 one-way.

The promotional fare is available for booking on airasia Superapp and the website starting today until Dec 24, 2023 for the travel period between March 4 and Oct 26, 2024.

Yesterday, during an appreciation and networking luncheon with Korean Industry players in Seoul, state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Christina Liew had said South Korea has been one of the top three market sources for tourism in Sabah since the reopening of Malaysia's international borders for travellers from all countries, effective April 2022.

From January to September this year, Sabah received nearly 152,000 Korean visitors, an increase of 451.4 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

Liew had also said as part of Sabah Tourism's recovery strategies, her Ministry through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) has been continuing its effort to regain the market share of the South Korea-Sabah sector by working closely with Airlines and all other stakeholders.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/986685/airasia-launches-kk-seoul-flight-making-kk-airport-its-second-largest-hub