Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew (centre) with FATA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang (flanked to her right) displaying the ATE 2025 document..
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will host the Asean Travel Exchange (ATE) 2025 mega tourism networking event on June 19, says state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
She said ATE 2025 is a business-to-business (B2B) event to foster regional partnerships and collaborations.
Liew said the event's timing was appropriate as Malaysia will assume the Asean chairmanship next year.
She said the event aligned with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's vision of championing Asean's growth, serving as an important platform to showcase regional solidarity in advancing tourism and economic development.
Federation of Asean Travel Associations (Fata) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang proposed that four organisations – Fata, the Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta), the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and AirAsia – establish a strategic partnership with the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) in hosting ATE 2025.
"My ministry and STB agree with and fully support the proposal... as it is beneficial to Sabah.
"Significantly, it... will enhance Sabah's visibility in the region (and will have a) foreseeable great impact on the local economy," Liew said during a recent courtesy call by a nine-member delegation, led by Tan, to brief her on ATE 2025.
Tan said the proposed smart partnership with the ministry and STB was to promote tourism products, exchange ideas, and highlight destinations in Malaysia.
"We want to position Malaysia, particularly Sabah, as a premier global tourism destination by leveraging Malaysia's role as Asean chair next year.
"We aim to develop the state as a preferred MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and leisure destination," Tan said, adding that Sabah Parks, the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Convention Bureau, and STB would also highlight their products.
He added that the key benefits of hosting ATE 2025 include economic impact, tourism promotion, global visibility, and cultural exchange.
"It will boost Sabah's international profile, reinforcing its reputation as a prime travel destination and capable event host, which can lead to more future events and conferences," he added.
Tan said the state saw 429,000 Asean visitors last year.
"And from January to May this year, Sabah recorded a total of 312,330 Asean arrivals, comprising 13% of total visitor arrivals," he added.
The organisers plan to invite Anwar to be a keynote speaker at ATE 2025, which will see tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, homestay operators, product owners, decision-makers and industry stakeholders attending.
