The return of direct flights to Sabah since the reopening of borders in April was marked by the arrival of Jin Air flight from Incheon to Kota Kinabalu.
At 9.30 p.m. on Thursday, 185 passengers, including Jin Air branch manager Park Jeong Hoon, were greeted warmly.
With the improved Covid-19 scenario, we are optimistic that South Koreans will want to travel here as they have in the past. Sabah will collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture to increase visitor arrivals, which will benefit the local economy.
Datuk Jafry Ariffin, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and the Environment in Sabah
There were 65 weekly flights from South Korean cities to Sabah before the pandemic lockdowns.
Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar, the Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, who was at the airport to greet the South Korean visitors, said his ministry would continue to work with the Sabah Tourism Board to promote the state and its new products to the South Korean market.
In 2019, almost 600,000 Koreans visited Malaysia, with around 390,000 of them visiting Sabah. This proves that Kota Kinabalu is a must-visit place.
Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister
Also present to welcome Korean tourist to Sabah was;
- Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai
- Tourism Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Yusrie Abdullah
- Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman
- Chief marketing officer Tay Shu Lan.