KOTA KINABALU: The state government will offer incentives to attract more international airlines, said Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin today.

Juhar said these incentives also aimed to support the sustainability and growth of the aviation industry in the Asean region.

"The state government is committed to creating more direct international flights to boost accessibility and draw more visitors."

He said this at the state government's policy speech at the opening of the state legislative assembly sitting.

To achieve this goal, he said, the state would expedite the implementation of high-impact tourism initiatives and programmes, providing incentives to industry players to boost sector growth.

"This year, the state government welcomed direct flights from Jakarta, Shanghai and Seoul through AirAsia flights."

He said the state would continue its aggressive tourism promotion and marketing campaigns, focusing on niche market segments, such as bird watching, diving and sports tourism.

Juhar said the state government would focus on developing and providing infrastructure and facilities in tourism areas, especially outside the city, including in the Sabah Parks and Sabah Museum areas, in preparation for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

"In 2023, the number of tourist arrivals to Sabah increased to 2.61 million compared with 1.72 million in the previous year, representing an increase of 51.3 percent.

"This year, the state government targets the arrival of 2.8 million to three million tourists."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1039576/sabah-continue-offer-incentives-attract-more-foreign-airlines