KOTA KINABALU, May 11 — Sabah is reviewing its tourism targets and adopting a more flexible strategy following a series of airline route suspensions affecting connectivity into the state capital.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said tourism planning would now be guided by a more adaptive framework as global aviation conditions continue to shift amid geopolitical tensions, rising operational costs and changes in airline capacity.

“We are already seeing these changes impacting airline capacity, with route suspensions and reduced frequencies affecting connectivity into Kota Kinabalu, and we are closely monitoring developments to ensure our tourism planning remains responsive,” he said in a statement.

Among the affected routes are AirAsia’s temporary suspension of its Singapore–Kota Kinabalu route from May 13 to November 30, Jakarta–Kota Kinabalu from April 16 to May 21, and Ho Chi Minh–Kota Kinabalu beginning July 1.

Batik Air has also suspended its Seoul–Kota Kinabalu service effective April 28, while AirAsia will temporarily halt its Sibu–Kota Kinabalu and Bintulu–Kota Kinabalu routes between June 8 and June 30.

The suspensions come as Sabah continues to rely heavily on direct air connectivity to drive tourism growth, particularly from regional and international markets.

Jafry said the developments reflect broader global pressures that may influence visitor arrivals and travel demand.

He said tourism performance planning is now based on multiple scenarios, including prolonged external disruptions, stabilising market conditions and possible recovery of airline capacity.

“As at March, arrivals are still on track towards the original target of four million arrivals, but targets may be revised depending on real-time developments in airline connectivity and market conditions,” he said.

Based on preliminary figures, Sabah recorded 932,970 visitor arrivals up to March this year, comprising 537,317 domestic visitors and 395,653 international arrivals.

Jafry said the state government and the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) are continuing to engage airline partners and industry stakeholders to strengthen connectivity and minimise disruptions to visitor flows.

“This approach is supported by continuous market intelligence, research and industry engagement led by STB, including coordination with airline partners to strengthen connectivity planning and support decision-making on tourism strategy,” he said.

Despite the challenges, he said Sabah remains committed to sustaining tourism growth by intensifying promotions in domestic and regional markets with existing flight connections.

“In the current environment, we must remain adaptive and responsive,” he said.