By Mu Vitet
KOTA KINABALU: Tourism Malaysia (TM) Sabah is leveraging digital marketing to further accelerate the tourism sector’s strong recovery, said State Director Haryanty Abu Bakar.
“We are embracing digitalisation and innovative strategies in support of Visit Malaysia 2026.
“We are confident in driving greater visibility for Sabah and Labuan through an e-commerce travel platform,” she said at the launch of the Explore Sabah promotional campaign in downtown Kota Kinabalu here.
The campaign, aimed at positioning Sabah as a premier Malaysian travel destination, is being carried out in partnership with SabahTravel.com.
It promotes more than 400 curated travel experiences across the state to both domestic and international markets.
Its Marketing Director, Poh Khay Inn, said the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to connecting Sabah and Labuan with global travellers through instant bookings and engaging digital content.
Highlights include island hopping and diving in Semporna, wildlife and river safaris in Kinabatangan, the Mount Kinabalu expedition, cultural village and heritage tours, and eco retreats such as hilltop resorts and rainforest escapes.
The campaign also extends to Labuan, promoting sunset cruises and yacht charters, beachside retreats and snorkelling spots, WWII historical trails and memorial tours, and cultural attractions like the Labuan Museum and Chimney Tower.
Running from April 2025 to February 2026, the campaign offers up to 30 per cent discounts for bookings made through the online platform using the promo code XPLORE5.
From January to April 2025, Malaysia recorded 13.4 million international visitor arrivals, a 21 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
China has emerged as the third largest source market after Singapore and Indonesia, ahead of Thailand and India.
With 1.4 million Chinese visitors recorded in the first four months of 2025, a 37.8 per cent increase from the previous year, Malaysia is on track to meet its target of 43 million international arrivals and RM283.8 billion in tourism receipts by year end.
Tourism Malaysia is also distributing official Visit Malaysia 2026 promotional vehicle stickers to licensed tour operators across Sabah.
