KOTA KINABALU, 29 February 2024 – Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with the Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore, hosted a business-to-business (B2B) seminar today under the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme followed by a 6-day, 5-night familiarisation trip (FAM Trip) to various destinations in Sabah to showcase the Malaysian Borneo as an exciting and value-for-money travel destination.

Held at the Sabah International Convention Centre, 20 travel agents from Singapore had the opportunity to connect with 18 local representatives, including travel agents, tourism product owners, and hoteliers from Sabah. The programme provides a platform for productive discussions and networking, while the FAM Trip immerses participants in the country’s unique tourism offerings.

The itinerary highlights Sabah’s commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism, showcasing its rich cultural heritage, stunning islands, vibrant traditions, diverse cuisine, and breathtaking landscapes.

Previously launched in 2022, the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme is a brainchild of the Tourism Malaysia Singapore. It aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing between Malaysian tourism industry players and its Singapore counterparts. The programme facilitates the creation of new business partnerships, contract renewals, product updates, and the development of attractive travel packages specifically designed for tourists from Singapore.

Since its inception in Johor Bahru, followed by subsequent sessions held in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, the ‘Meet-The-Experts’ programme has generated enthusiastic participation in exploring hidden gems and enriching cultural experiences resulting in the creation of 157 unique travel packages.

The programme serves as a valuable avenue for strengthening ties between Malaysia and Singapore’s tourism industries. We are thrilled to create more exciting and high-quality travel experiences in attracting visitors to Sabah and Malaysia as we gear up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

The ASEAN market has predominantly been the primary contributor to Malaysia’s tourism sector, with Singapore ranking as the top source of tourist-generating markets, contributing significantly to the 8.3 million arrivals in 2023.

Malaysia aims to welcome 27.3 million tourists in 2024, generating RM102.7 billion in revenue. The forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026 has set an ambitious target of 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals, with a target receipt of RM147.1 billion.

END

About Tourism Malaysia
Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene.

The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Fiona Estrop
Marketing Manager
Tourism Malaysia Singapore
fiona@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +65 6532 6321

Muadz Samat
Assistant Director
Corporate Communications Division
muadz@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8755