Sabah, the second-largest state in Malaysia, is a must-visit destination for nature, environmental, and adventure enthusiasts.
It offers travellers incredible scenery, surrounded by lush greenery, and a rich biodiversity.
Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Noredah Othman said Sabah is well known for its carefully-protected, diverse ecotourism offerings, especially in nature and adventure destinations.
Most of the state’s iconic tourism products are conservation-based, such as Kinabalu Park, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, and the Danum Valley Conservation Area.
STB is one of the six fully-funded state agencies under the purview of the state’s Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS). Its core function is to promote and market Sabah as the world’s premier ecotourism and nature adventure destination.
Sabah is strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia, easily accessible from Indonesia and Brunei, and major cities, such as Bangkok and Manila.
There are also direct flights from major cities in North Asia, a key tourist market for Sabah, including Tokyo, Seoul, Busan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chinese Taipei.
“Malaysia is one of the top Muslim-friendly destinations globally, and Sabah is no exception. We have a lot to offer in terms of Muslim-friendly and Islamic travel,” said Noredah.
“We are now looking at penetrating the Muslim tourist market from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.”
She said respect and care for nature and the environment were also important aspects in Islam, and Sabah’s ecotourism is one of the best ways to spread awareness about environmental conservation.
“We hope to attract more travellers and promote environmental awareness and conservation with our ecotourism products, while offering Muslim and non-Muslim travellers the opportunity to experience and appreciate the natural greenery, landscapes, and wildlife,” said Noredah.
“Sabah has a large Muslim population. As such, facilities and basic needs of Muslim travellers are readily available.
She said facilities and infrastructure such as mosques, surau, halal food and cuisine, are available in every district and nearly every tourist destination in the state.
Besides ecotourism products, Sabah has other Islamic tourism attractions, such as mosque tourism and the Sabah Islamic Civilisation Museum.
“Our mosque tourism is also popular among non-Muslims, especially those from Korea and China,” she added.
As part of its efforts to attract Muslim travellers and position Sabah as a Muslim-friendly destination, STB is collaborating with the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC).
The collaboration aims to expose the local tourism industry players in the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) industry and help them in getting the relevant accreditations.
“Sabah’s tourism industry is one of the biggest in Malaysia, with over 700 tourism operators. While many know the Muslim- friendly requirements, we want to ensure they receive the relevant accreditation and certification.
“Last November, ITC conducted a seminar in Sabah, and industry players were exposed to MFTH, which helped them better understand what they can offer, being Muslim-friendly, and how to get accredited.”
STB, she shared, is also working on getting Sabah’s tourist guides to participate in ITC’s MFTG training.
“We have more than 1,300 tourist guides, and the Sabah Native Registered Tourist Guide Association.
“It is a matter of putting them together and guiding them to be certified and recognised as Muslim-friendly tourist guides.”
So far, ITC has conducted one MFTG training for Sabah tourist guides in 2022. From that, 20 Muslim-friendly tourist guides were certified in Sabah, while more have expressed interest to do the same.
“We look forward to continue working with ITC to position and promote Sabah as a Muslim-friendly destination.”
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sabah tourism industry was performing at its peak, and was among the top three revenue earners for the State, shared Noredah.
“We received over 200 direct international flights, which brought in more than four million visitors annually. So, of course, when no travellers were coming in during the pandemic and lockdown, it severely affected the state’s tourism
industry, especially the hotels and local players.”
Fortunately, since the border reopened and with flights gradually being reinstated, Sabah has seen an increase in tourist arrivals, indicating a positive recovery in the tourism industry.
“As of now, 11 direct international flights have resumed, and we are working on reinstating the rest.” — Rest&Rehlah (@Halal)
