{
  "id": 9952585,
  "title": "Sabah boosts efforts to attract Chinese tourists ahead of Visit Sabah 2027",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/sabah-boosts-efforts-to-attract-chinese-tourists-ahead-of-visit-sabah",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-26T08:59:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/09/1541619/sabah-boosts-efforts-attract-chinese-tourists-ahead-visit-sabah-2027"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA KINABALU - Sabah is intensifying its efforts to lure more Chinese tourists in the lead-up to Visit Sabah 2027, according to Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin. China continues to be a vital tourism market for Sabah. Strengthening air connectivity is crucial, but so is marketing the destination to Chinese travelers through the platforms they utilize for holiday planning, Jafry explained. More flights imply more visitors, and a greater influx of visitors translates to more opportunities for the tourism sector and local communities, he stated. While in China to promote the state and improve air links, Jafry led a delegation that visited Chongqing, Guiyang, Anshun, and Shanghai. The delegation held meetings with airlines, tourism industry stakeholders, business representatives, cultural organizations, and RedNote (Xiaohongshu). Jafry revealed that Chongqing Airlines offers three direct flights to Sabah weekly, while an increase in flight schedules between Sabah and Shanghai is anticipated by year-end, courtesy of China Eastern Airlines and Spring Airlines. Kota Kinabalu already boasts direct scheduled air links with multiple Chinese destinations, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as Hong Kong. While better connectivity paves the way, Jafry emphasized that compelling reasons for continued travel are essential. To achieve this, the tourism, culture, music, media, and business sectors are being brought together. Enhanced connectivity generates opportunities throughout the tourism industry, from hotels and tour operators to restaurants, attractions, and local enterprises, Jafry added. He also highlighted that the Sabah delegation promoted tourism, culture, music, and industry exchanges, with Malaysian singer Shila Amzah participating in the program in Guiyang. Chinese tourists made up 578,681 of the 1.1 million international visitors to Sabah during the first eight months of 2026, a 21.6 percent rise compared to the same period in 2025. Sabah is also working to boost its digital presence in China, with over 10 million RedNote searches related to the state recorded. Popular searches included sunsets, mountains, seas, and fresh seafood, indicating a strong interest in Sabah's offerings. This is a promising sign for Sabah, as the interest is already evident, and the focus now is on transforming this interest into actual visits. The goal is to attract more Chinese travelers to experience Sabah's breathtaking sunsets, Mount Kinabalu, islands, fresh seafood, wildlife, and diverse cultures.",
  "summary": "KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is stepping up efforts to attract more Chinese tourists ahead of Visit Sabah 2027, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}