Tourism Malaysia has launched the Sabah & Labuan Meet East Coast Roadshow for 2025, building on the success of last year’s initiative.

This year’s event is designed to target travel trade partners specifically in Kelantan and Pahang with the goal of reinforcing connections and enhancing travel flows from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Labuan.

According to Haryanty Abu Bakar, director of Tourism Malaysia Sabah, “In conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), we are excited to adopt a more aggressive approach to diversify tourism package offerings and enhance promotional activities across all states to boost interstate travel. Accessibility from Sabah to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is currently supported by AirAsia flights three times a week. With increased collaboration and rising domestic tourism demand, we hope to see other airlines expanding into this vital sector.”

Statistics from the Sabah Tourism Board reveal that 2,119,813 visitors arrived in Sabah from January to July 2025, marking a 20.3% rise compared to the same period in 2024. This includes 854,648 international visitors and 1,265,165 domestic travelers.

An event for sharing key insights The Roadshow was held in Kota Bharu and Kuantan on September 21st and 23rd, respectively, featuring a delegation of 15 industry representatives from Sabah and Labuan who engaged with counterparts from the East Coast. This included B2B sessions to explore new partnerships.

Attendees included travel agencies, tour operators, tourism associations, and hospitality sector representatives. The program also presented inspirational talks highlighting Sabah and Labuan’s unique attractions, inviting guests to discover their cultural heritage and diverse landscapes.

Thanks to the backing of the Kelantan and Pahang state governments, over 100 buyers attended both events, with Sabah and Labuan participants partaking in a tour of tourism products across Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang.