Sabah Tourism Board In Talks With Scoot For Direct Sandakan-Singapore Route - Joniston

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Tourism Board (STB), in collaboration with Tourism MalaSinysia, is in talks with low-cost carrier Scoot to launch direct Singapore–Sandakan route in a move aimed at boosting tourist arrivals from the city-state.

Sabah Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment and STB chairman, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, said the route would boost Sabah’s visibility among Singaporeans and attract other international travellers to travel through Changi Airport.

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“Sabah is not just about Mount Kinabalu or Sipadan, but also Sandakan – a gateway to nature. We have diverse attractions. A lot of Singaporeans love nature, and what better place to visit than Sandakan,” he told Bernama after launching the Sabah Fest 2025 - Singapore Edition, here on Saturday.

Joniston expressed hope that travel agents in Singapore would showcase Sabah’s wide-ranging attractions, from the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, by introducing exciting travel packages.

As of May this year, he said more than 13,000 Singaporeans had visited Sabah, and he hoped the number would continue to increase in line with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026) campaign.

“Tourism Malaysia Singapore in collaboration with the Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STTOS), together with other agencies, are working hard to help promote Sabah,” he added.

He also expressed hope that Scoot and AirAsia would consider increasing the frequency of their Singapore-Kota Kinabalu direct flights.

Joniston said the three-day Sabah Fest 2025 – Singapore Edition, held at Marina Square from Friday (Aug 15) and organised by STTOS, offers Singaporeans a glimpse of Sabah’s culture, tourism and trade ahead of the full-month celebration in the state next month.

At the event, Joniston also launched the “Stamp and Feel Sabah” campaign – a stamp rally programme introduced by STTOS to encourage Singaporean travellers to explore Sabah. Travellers can collect a stamp booklet from Tourism Malaysia’s Singapore office, earn stamps by visiting listed attractions, and redeem rewards at the STTOS office while stocks last.

Meanwhile, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar said the High Commission is proud to support Sabah Fest 2025 as it aligns with its mission to foster bilateral ties through cultural exchange, tourism promotion, and economic cooperation.

“This event directly supports the VMY2026 promotional campaign by highlighting Sabah’s unique cultural and natural attractions to Singapore audiences,” he added.

Sabah Fest 2025 - Singapore Edition showcases products from Desa Dairy Farm, Jetsin Sdn Bhd, Kerupuk Lelek Enterprise Sdn Bhd, and Origame, the Singapore distributor for My First Trip in Sabah -- the first Sabah-themed board game. Visitors are also treated to lively cultural performances by a group called Era Budaya and rendition by Sabahan singer Dabra Sia.

-- BERNAMA