04/09/2026
𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐡’𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐬
Rising international airfares caused by geopolitical tensions should be turned into an opportunity to strengthen Sabah’s domestic tourism market and create more business opportunities for local tourism players, said Luyang Assemblyman Samuel Wong.
Responding to MATTA Sabah Chapter organising chairman for MATTA Fair Sabah 2026 Mohd Azlan Saleh Abd Salam’s call to promote domestic tourism, Wong said the state government and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment should work more closely with tourism associations, travel agencies and local tourism operators to develop products specifically for the domestic market.
“This is not only about asking Sabahans to travel within Sabah. The bigger question is how we use this opportunity to build a stronger domestic tourism industry that directly benefits our local businesses,” he said.
Wong said Sabah should build a stronger base of local visitors, particularly by making domestic travel more affordable, convenient and attractive.
“Our own people should be one of our core tourism markets. When Sabahans travel within Sabah, their spending goes to our hotels, homestays, restaurants, tour operators, transport providers, guides and other local businesses.
“But we need to give them enough reasons to travel. We cannot keep offering the same destinations and the same experiences.”
He said the government should help local tourism SMEs combine their individual products into complete, bookable packages.
“A homestay alone may not be enough to attract a family. But if it is combined with farm activities, local food, outdoor recreation, cultural experiences and nature activities, it becomes a more attractive weekend or two-day package.
“This is where the government can play a bigger coordinating role by bringing local operators together and helping them develop products that can actually be sold through travel agencies and tourism platforms.”
Wong proposed that the government work with MATTA, local travel agencies, hotels, homestay operators, community groups and private businesses to develop domestic tourism packages for weekends, school holidays and festive periods.
He said packages should be designed for different groups, including families, young people, senior citizens and those looking for short weekend breaks.
“Weekend travel should not only be about long weekends or school holidays. A family should be able to take a short and relaxing trip on an ordinary weekend without spending too much,” he said.
Wong said family and educational tourism should be given greater attention, especially as parents increasingly look for ways to spend quality time with their children away from gadgets and technology.
“With children growing up surrounded by technology and gadgets, many parents also want their children to spend more time outdoors, experience nature and do activities together as a family.
“Sabah has a lot to offer in this area. We can develop educational tourism based on what we already have for example our history, agriculture, forests, rivers, flora and fauna, food, culture and heritage.”
He said children could learn about agriculture through farm visits and harvesting activities, experience Sabah’s biodiversity through nature programmes, learn traditional cooking and handicrafts, or visit historical and cultural sites to better understand Sabah’s heritage.
“These do not have to be expensive attractions. What we need is to turn existing resources into organized and interesting experiences.
“A two-day family package could include an educational activity in the morning, an outdoor activity in the afternoon and a homestay experience at night. The family gets a meaningful holiday, while local businesses earn from the same trip.”
Wong said the government should also encourage more private-sector partnerships to create tourism products.
Factories could develop educational visits, farms could offer agro-tourism activities, sports organisations could organise tournaments and sports camps, while fishing communities, cultural groups and local businesses could provide food, handicraft and cultural experiences.
“Tourism does not always require the government to build another major attraction. Many businesses and communities already have something that can become a tourism product.
“What is needed is coordination, product development, training, marketing and a platform to connect them with visitors.”
He said this would allow more small and medium-sized businesses to participate in the tourism economy.
“When a family buys a tourism package, the money can flow to several businesses such as homestay, restaurant, transport operator, guide, farmer, local producer and activity provider.
“That is the kind of tourism ecosystem we should be building.”
Wong said Sabah could learn from China, where domestic tourism has developed into a major and sustained part of the tourism industry, as well as from Peninsular Malaysia, where interstate travel for short holidays, food trips and family getaways is already common.
“We should build the same habit in Sabah. Travelling within our own state should become a normal choice for Sabahans, not simply an alternative when overseas travel becomes expensive.”
He also called for greater development of tourism products in districts that receive fewer visitors from within Sabah.
“Every district should look at what it can offer and how those assets can be packaged into something people want to experience.
“We should not only promote a destination. We should sell an experience.”
Wong said the state government could support this through product-development grants, training, marketing support, better coordination and partnerships with the private sector, while allowing local operators to develop and run the actual businesses.
Wong said a stronger domestic tourism market would provide local tourism SMEs with a more stable customer base and help them withstand external shocks.
Wong said international tourism would remain important to Sabah, but the state should also build a stronger domestic market to give local tourism businesses a more stable foundation.
“International arrivals can be affected by global conflicts, economic conditions, airfares, exchange rates and flight connectivity. Our own people are a more immediate market.
“We are not asking Sabahans not to travel overseas. People should have choices. But if we can offer affordable, convenient and exciting tourism experiences in Sabah, more families may choose to spend part of their holiday budget here.
“This means more money stays in Sabah and benefits our local SMEs and communities. The current high cost of international travel is therefore a good opportunity for the government to strengthen our domestic tourism market and give local tourism players better products, better market access and more opportunities to grow,” he said.
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路阳州议员黄俊铨表示，随着地缘政治局势紧张导致国际机票及出国旅游成本上涨，沙巴政府应把握这个机会，加强州内旅游市场，同时为本地旅游业者及中小企业创造更多商机。
针对马来西亚旅游总会（MATTA）2026年沙巴MATTA Fair筹委会主席莫哈末阿兹兰呼吁推动国内旅游一事，黄俊铨认为，沙巴州政府尤其是旅游、文化及环境部，应与旅游协会、旅行社及本地旅游业者加强合作，开发更多针对沙巴人的旅游产品。
他说：“这不只是鼓励沙巴人留在州内旅游，更重要的是，我们要利用目前的情况，建立一个更强大的国内旅游市场，让本地企业直接受惠。”
黄俊铨指出，沙巴应进一步扩大本地游客市场，让更多沙巴人成为本地旅游业的核心客源，同时让州内旅游更具价格吸引力、方便及多元化。
“我们自己的人民应该是沙巴重要的旅游客源之一。沙巴人到州内旅游，消费会流向酒店、民宿、餐饮、旅行社、交通、导游以及其他本地商家。
“但我们也必须给他们足够的理由去旅游，不能一直只是推广同样的地点和同样的旅游体验。”
他认为，政府可以协助本地旅游中小企业把各自的产品组合起来，形成完整、方便预订及销售的旅游配套。
“单靠一家民宿可能不足以吸引一个家庭，但如果把民宿结合农场体验、本地美食、户外活动、文化及自然体验，就可以变成更有吸引力的周末或两天一夜旅游配套。
“这就是政府可以发挥更大协调作用的地方，把本地业者连接起来，协助他们开发真正可以通过旅行社及旅游平台销售的产品。”
黄俊铨建议，政府应与MATTA、旅行社、酒店、民宿业者、社区组织及私人企业合作，开发适合普通周末、学校假期及佳节期间的国内旅游配套。
他说，旅游配套也应该针对不同客群，包括家庭、年轻人、乐龄人士，以及希望在周末短暂放松的游客。
“旅游不应该只是长周末或学校假期才进行。普通周末也可以成为一家人放松、短途出游的机会，而且不需要花费太多。”
黄俊铨也认为，沙巴应更加重视家庭及教育旅游，尤其是在现代科技及电子产品普及的情况下，许多父母都希望孩子能够暂时放下手机及电子产品，一家人到户外相处。
“现在的孩子从小就接触很多科技和电子产品，很多父母也希望有更多机会带孩子接触大自然，在户外一起活动，增加一家人相处的时间。
“其实沙巴在这方面有很多条件。我们可以利用现有的历史、农业、森林、河流、动植物、美食、文化及遗产资源，发展教育旅游。”
他说，孩子可以通过参观农场及参与采收活动，了解农业；通过自然活动认识沙巴丰富的动植物；通过传统烹饪及手工艺体验认识本土文化，也可以参观历史及文化遗址，进一步了解沙巴的历史与传承。
“这些不一定需要建设昂贵的大型旅游设施。我们需要的是把现有资源整理、包装成有趣及有教育意义的旅游体验。
“例如一个两天一夜的家庭配套，早上可以安排教育活动，下午进行户外活动，晚上入住民宿。家庭得到有意义的旅游体验，本地业者也可以从同一个旅游配套中获得收入。”
黄俊铨也促请政府鼓励更多私人领域参与旅游产品开发。
他说，工厂可以发展教育参观活动，农场可以推出农业旅游体验，体育组织可以举办体育赛事及训练营，而渔村、文化团体及本地企业则可以提供美食、手工艺及文化体验。
“旅游发展不一定每一次都需要政府建设一个新的大型景点。很多企业及社区本身已经拥有可以发展的旅游资源。
“政府需要做的是协调、协助产品开发、培训、推广，以及建立平台，把这些业者和游客连接起来。”
他说，这也能让更多本地中小企业参与旅游经济。
“一个家庭购买旅游配套后，消费可以同时惠及民宿、餐厅、交通业者、导游、农民、本地生产商及活动经营者。
“这才是我们应该建立的旅游生态。”
黄俊铨认为，沙巴也可以参考中国国内旅游的发展，以及西马各州之间已经相当普遍的州内及跨州短途旅游、亲子旅游及美食之旅。
“中国已经建立了非常庞大的国内旅游市场，国内旅游成为旅游业长期的重要支柱。西马人民也很习惯在州与州之间旅游。
“沙巴也应该培养这样的旅游习惯，让到州内不同地区旅游成为沙巴人的日常选择，而不只是国外旅游变贵时的替代方案。”
他同时呼吁政府推动更多沙巴人较少前往的地区开发旅游产品。
“每个地区都应该看看自己有什么资源，以及如何把这些资源包装成游客真正想体验的产品。
“我们不应该只是推广一个地点，而是要销售一个完整的体验。”
黄俊铨说，州政府可以通过旅游产品开发拨款、培训、市场推广、协调机制及私人领域合作，为本地业者提供支持，同时让实际经营旅游业务的工作交由本地业者及社区负责。
他说，建立更强大的国内旅游市场，可以为本地旅游中小企业提供更稳定的客源，也能提高业者面对外部经济及国际局势变化的韧性。
“国际旅游对沙巴依然非常重要，但国际游客人数会受到全球冲突、经济情况、机票价格、汇率及航班连接等因素影响。相比之下，我们自己的人民是一个更直接、更稳定的市场。
“我们不是要阻止沙巴人出国旅游，大家当然应该拥有选择。但如果我们能够提供价格合理、方便及有吸引力的沙巴旅游体验，相信更多家庭会愿意把部分旅游预算留在沙巴。
“这样消费就会留在沙巴，直接支持我们的本地中小企业及社区。现在国际旅游成本上涨，正是政府进一步强化国内旅游市场的机会，让本地旅游业者拥有更好的产品、更大的市场及更多发展机会。”
