What Is Sabah Tourism Board and Its Function?

By Robert Palmer

Sabah Tourism Board is a government agency that operates under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. Its primary function is to promote tourism in Sabah by developing and implementing marketing strategies, as well as enhancing the tourism industry in the state.

History

The Sabah Tourism Board, also known as STB, was established in 1993 under the Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation Enactment. Since then, it has been responsible for promoting and marketing Sabah as a tourist destination to both domestic and international visitors.

Functions

STB has several functions that aim to enhance and develop the tourism industry in Sabah. These functions include:

Marketing and Promotions

One of STB’s primary functions is to market and promote Sabah as a tourist destination. This involves developing advertising campaigns, participating in travel fairs and exhibitions, conducting familiarization trips for travel agents and media personnel, and collaborating with airlines to ensure better connectivity to Sabah.

Tourism Development

STB also plays an essential role in developing tourism infrastructure in Sabah. This includes identifying potential tourist destinations, coordinating with local communities to develop homestays or other accommodations that cater to tourists’ needs, improving transportation systems within the state, and working with local businesses to offer better services to tourists.

Product Development

To attract more visitors to Sabah, STB also works on product development by creating new tourism products or enhancing existing ones. For example, they might collaborate with dive operators to promote diving destinations or work with local tour operators to develop ecotourism packages.

Impact

Since its establishment, STB has made a significant impact on the tourism industry in Sabah. It has helped increase visitor arrivals by developing new products and destinations, enhancing tourism infrastructure and services, and promoting Sabah globally as a must-visit destination.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sabah Tourism Board plays an essential role in developing and promoting tourism in Sabah. Through its various functions, it has helped boost the local economy by increasing visitor arrivals and creating job opportunities for locals. Its efforts have also put Sabah on the global tourism map, making it a must-visit destination for tourists worldwide.