Mumbai, Feb 6: Two of Borneo’s tourism powerhouses are going all out to woo the Indian market at Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2026, using India’s biggest travel trade showcase at the Jio World Convention Centre to launch niche products, deepen trade ties and build momentum for Visit Malaysia 2026 and beyond.
Sabah Tourism Board (STB) strengthened engagement with the Indian market by presenting a range of destination offerings, including the launch of Sabah North Borneo Cycling Paradise.
The cycling initiative was introduced after the official opening of the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion at the Jio World Convention Centre on Thursday (Feb 5), providing a platform to introduce niche and experience-based travel products to the Indian market.
Present at the launch were the Consul General of Malaysia in Mumbai, Ahmad Zuwairi Yusoff; Tourism Malaysia chairman, Datuk Manoharan Periasamy; Tourism Malaysia Asia-Africa senior director, Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi; Tourism Malaysia-Mumbai director, Noriah Jaafar; and STB deputy chief executive officer (product and research), Humphrey Ginibun.
The Sabah North Borneo Cycling Paradise offers participants a mix of coastal roads, highland scenery, rural towns, and local cultural experiences, giving travellers an active and immersive way to explore the state.
Sabah Tourism participated in OTM 2026 from Feb 5 to 7, supporting broader tourism initiatives under Visit Malaysia 2026 while also creating early momentum for Visit Sabah 2027, as the state continues to strengthen its international visibility.
Under the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion, STB featured six Sabah-based tour operators and a resort partner at its booth, providing opportunities for networking, business discussions, and showcasing experiences ranging from adventure and nature tours to resort stays.
The participating companies were Borneo Trails Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, Borneo Nature Tours, Borneo Sandakan Tours, Funholiday Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, WB Tours and Travels Sdn Bhd, and Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort.
Sabah continues to attract global travellers with its beaches, islands, resorts, diving opportunities, wildlife, and rich indigenous cultures, and had also gained recognition as a wedding destination for Indian couples prior to the pandemic.
Last year, arrivals from India grew by 21.1 per cent, from 9,316 to 11,282, reflecting the market’s steady recovery and highlighting its importance to Sabah’s long-term tourism growth.
In terms of connectivity, Sabah is accessible from India via Singapore with 18 weekly flights to Kota Kinabalu, via Brunei with nine weekly flights, or via Kuala Lumpur with 189 weekly connecting flights to Kota Kinabalu, 61 weekly flights to Tawau, and 34 weekly connecting flights to Sandakan.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) successfully commenced its participation at OTM 2026 by reaffirming its strategic focus on India as a high-potential source market ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026).
Sarawak’s engagement at OTM 2026 aligns with Malaysia’s national ambition to welcome 43 million international visitors under VM2026, with India identified as a priority growth market targeting two million arrivals.
Riding on growing market interest, including an 8% surge in demand from India, Sarawak is positioning itself to contribute meaningfully to this national objective by pursuing sustained, quality growth from the Indian market.
The Sarawak delegation was led by The Honourable Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP); The Honourable Datuk Sebastian Ting, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry & Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP); The Honourable Dato Dennis Ngau, Chairman of Sarawak Tourism Board; and Dr Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board. Their presence underscored Sarawak’s commitment to strengthening high-level engagement with India’s travel trade and reinforcing long-term market confidence.
Highlighting the significance of Sarawak’s participation, Datuk Sri Abdul Karim delivered a keynote intervention as a panel speaker during the OTM 2026 Inaugural Session, reflecting Sarawak’s leadership role and readiness to respond to evolving outbound travel demand from India.
In addition, Dr Sharzede participated as a featured panelist at the OTM Forum session, “Beyond the Usual: Mapping Where Indian Travellers Will Go Next,” sharing insights on Sarawak’s destination readiness and product development strategies for the next wave of Indian travellers.
Dato Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah delivered a keynote intervention as a panel speaker during the OTM 2026 Inaugural Session, reflecting Sarawak’s leadership role and readiness to respond to evolving outbound travel demand from India.
At OTM 2026, Sarawak positioned itself as a distinctive, experience-led destination, highlighting its core tourism pillars of Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF). Emphasis was placed on immersive, nature-led and heritage-rich experiences that resonate strongly with the Indian market, including iconic attractions such as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mulu National Park and Niah National Park.
Prior to the official opening of OTM 2026, the Sarawak delegation, led by the Honourable Minister and MTCP entourages, conducted high-level visits to strengthen diplomatic and academic ties, including a courtesy visit to the Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai to meet Consul General Ahmad Zuwairi Yusoff.
This was followed by an academic partnership mission to Somaiya Vidyavihar University alongside UCSI University Sarawak Campus to promote education tourism, a key niche segment for the Indian market.
This collaboration aimed to establish academic benchmarks in hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts through faculty and student exchanges and joint research.
OTM 2026 served as a valuable platform to enhance Sarawak’s visibility in India, strengthen trade relationships and reinforce its positioning as Malaysia’s nature-led gateway to Borneo.
These strategic engagements are expected to support the development of tailored itineraries, expand market access and drive sustained destination awareness across India as Malaysia prepares to welcome the world in 2026.
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