Tourism Johor wants AirBorneo’s direct flights to Johor Bahru

KUCHING: Tourism Johor has called on Sarawak Government-owned airline, AirBorneo, to establish direct flights between Kuching and Johor Bahru, as well as Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru, to further boost domestic tourism.

Tourism Johor’s Director, Muhammad Nazrul Abd Rahim said AirBorneo is well positioned to play a role in strengthening air connectivity between Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

He said direct routes between the three regions would not only strengthen ties but also facilitate tourist movement and create greater opportunities for domestic tourism.

“Johor is committed to attracting more tourists from Sabah and Sarawak through strategic cooperation among tourism industry players.

“We want more tourists from Sabah and Sarawak to visit Johor, and I hope this programme can serve as a new and strong platform for us to strengthen ties between Johor, Sabah and Sarawak,” he was quoted as saying in a MalaysiaGazette report.

He was speaking at the Borneo Meet Johor Tourism Networking Dinner in Johor on Tuesday (Oct. 6).

Nazrul said domestic tourism remained an important foundation of Malaysia’s tourism industry, with significant potential for further growth.

He said Malaysians still has many destinations to explore within the country, presenting opportunities for local tourism players to strengthen the domestic market.

“Domestic tourism remains an important foundation of Malaysia’s tourism industry, and there is still much potential for Malaysians to explore destinations within the country,” he said.

He said improved air connectivity between Johor, Sabah and Sarawak could further stimulate tourism activities and increase domestic tourist movements.

At the same time, he stressed the importance of closer cooperation among tourism agencies and industry players from the three regions to develop more tourism packages and products capable of attracting visitors.

He said such efforts are expected to benefit the hospitality, transportation, food and beverage sectors, as well as other tourism-related businesses in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.