Sabah is showing signs of a strong comeback in terms of tourist arrivals after the pandemic with the state recording a hotel occupancy rate averaging over 50% for the past six months, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

“Even as we speak, visitor arrivals continued to show strong growth in 2023, with overall visitor arrivals to Sabah registered at 1.4 million international and domestic arrivals from January to July,” said the Chief Minister.

“By this figure, Sabah is poised to achieve its target of 2.2 million visitors this year.

“As of now, this has generated an estimated tourism receipt of RM2.9bil (an increase of 99.7%) for Sabah,” he said at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa’s 40th ruby anniversary celebration here on Monday night.

To support the growth, Hajiji said, an additional 2,053 rooms will soon be available, with seven new hotels coming on board.

He said this will add to the 685 existing hotels ranging from budget or lodges to five stars with a 26,822-room capacity in Sabah.

He said this development augurs well for the state with statistics showing that Sabah continues to be a sought-after destination among tourists. It is encouraging to note that Sabah’s average hotel occupancy rate for the past six months this year has been at 52%.“I am told that on certain days, some hotels have reported full occupancy, especially during holidays or when events were being held,” Hajiji said, adding that he is glad the hospitality industry has recovered quickly from the pandemic.

“We are optimistic about moving forward to ensure that resolute measures are taken to ensure that we are on our feet and on track to implement our development plan, the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya, in accordance with our aspirations to foster a Sabah that is united, prosperous and inclusive.

“And for that, I need all of you to be on the same page with me and the state government,” he said.The Chief Minister also said the state government sees much potential in community-based tourism (COBT).

“We want to see this sector grow throughout the state so that more communities from the rural areas will benefit from the economic opportunities and spin-offs. A branding initiative for community-based tourism by Sabah Tourism Board will be done soon to take it to another level,” he added.