Hong Kong, April 11, 2011 - Sabah, Malaysia has always been known for her beautiful sunshine and beaches, which has become a popular holiday destination among Hong Kongers in recent years.

During the first two months of 2011, almost 22,000 Chinese and Hong Kong visitors traveled to Sabah, achieving over 30% increase in visitor numbers comparing to last year's record. In response to the heavy market demand of flights to Sabah, Hong Kong Airlines will launch two flights per week between Hong Kong and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah starting from April 22, 2011. Together with other airlines, flights from Hong Kong to Kota Kinabalu will be increased to 21 flights per week.

Boeing 738 aircraft will be operating on this Sabah flight route. 158 passengers on each flight will be run every Tuesday and Friday between Hong Kong and Sabah, in order to provide the fastest and the most comprehensive aviation network for passengers in both countries.

Route                  Flight no.      Day Departure         Time Arrival Time
HK to Kota Kinabalu    UO715       Tuesday, Friday       12:05 15:05
Kota Kinabalu to HK    UO716                                    15:50 18:35
*All time shown are local time of destination, schedule shown is subject to change without prior notice. For more information please visit: http://www.hongkongairlines.com/eng/

Creating a new tourist destination

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong Office) has been actively promoting tourism in Sabah. Highlighting the state capital Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau, the office hopes to position Sabah as a tourist paradise in Southeast Asia. According to the statistics of Sabah Tourism Board, the number of Asian tourists visited Sabah in 2010 increased by over 50% compared with that in 2009. Out of the 670,000 Asian visitors, more than 100,000 of them were from Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.

In recent years, more and more tourists travel to Sabah to experience the fun of diving. The most spectacular underwater world in Sipadan Island is known as one of the world's top three diving destinations. A Diving Travel Seminar organized by Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong Office) and Hong Kong Underwater Association was held last year, providing comprehensive travel information for diving enthusiasts.

In addition, the 2009 anniversary drama of TVB Jade, "Born Rich" was shot in Kota Kinabalu and Kudat. Stunning sceneries in Sabah were introduced and it successfully set off an unstoppable wave of tourism to Sabah. Sabah is famous for its seafood cuisine, which attracts many well known food critics and experts, such as Leung Man Tao, Chef Chow Chung, Michael Lam, etc to lead different media and food fans to travel around Sabah, to taste and promote different local cuisine there.

Have fun in Sabah
Whoever enjoys outdoor activities, Sabah has a list of exciting activities for you to experience. For instance, climbing the Mount Kinabalu which is over four thousand meters above the sea level, or challenging the Padas White Water rafting to simulate the pleasure. You may also travel to a small island near Kota Kinabalu and snorkel with hundreds of colorful coral fish to enjoy the underwater world in Sabah.

In the coming Easter holidays, Hong Kong Airlines specially introduces a number of 4-day-3-night leisure package offers (including airfare and accommodation) for only HK$ 3,088up per person, so you could quickly start planning your holiday to experience the wonders of Sabah. For more information, please visit the Hong Kong Airlines website: www.hkairlinesholidays.com .

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This press release is issued on behalf of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Hong Kong Office) by EC Square PR And Events Company Limited.

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