Navin Kumar Perianen
Penang to Sabah visitors numbered 243,900 in 2025, almost four times the 64,500 who travelled the other way. Tourism Malaysia gave the figures this week, Newswav reported. The numbers come as Penang adds new charter flights that could feed more trips to Sabah.
Tourism Malaysia Northern Region director Abdul Hadi Che Man gave the numbers at the agency’s Penang office. He was welcoming media representatives and social media influencers from Sabah. The group was on a six-day familiarisation trip, which ran from 29 October to 3 November.
Overall, here is what the numbers show, what draws Penang visitors east and where the flights fit.
What the numbers show
The figures cover 2025 only. No breakdown was given on whether they count arrivals, trips or overnight stays.
Hadi described the pattern simply. For every five travellers between the two, four went from Penang to Sabah. Only one went the other way. That works out to about 3.8 visitors from Penang for each one from Sabah.
The trip was called Mansau-Ansau VM2026. It aimed to promote northern Peninsular Malaysia as a domestic destination under the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign. Overall, the flow clearly favours Sabah.
In addition, the trip gave Sabah creators a first-hand look at Penang. Domestic tourism is in focus because Visit Malaysia 2026 is under way. As a result, such exchanges are likely to continue.
What draws Penang visitors to Sabah
Hadi said Penang visitors head for Kota Kinabalu and Semporna. In Kota Kinabalu, they go island-hopping to Sapi and Manukan, shop and eat seafood. Some continue to Tawau and Semporna.
Other places he named include Bohey Dulang, the Klias River and the Sipadan and Mabul islands. He said he had visited Kota Kinabalu, the Klias River, Sipadan and Mabul.
He wanted to return to Semporna, which he described as the “Little Maldives of Malaysia”. He said it is known for its beautiful islands and overwater resorts.
Food is part of the pull as well. Hadi said Sabah is known for seafood, while Penang is better known for street food. For example, he pointed to Penang’s Michelin recognition. That list now includes nasi kandar, which entered the guide for the first time. Moreover, he noted that George Town and Mount Kinabalu are both UNESCO-recognised.
Flights and packages
Hadi said Penang has flights from China, India and Singapore. Sabah has flights from South Korea and, he believed, Japan. Penang was also expected to get weekly flights from Warsaw, Poland, from November until March.
As a result, he said Penang can serve as a gateway for international visitors before they continue to Sabah. He suggested travel agencies sell one or two-week packages that cover both places.
However, no booking data or airline plans were given for such a package. Meanwhile, Batik Air’s direct Batam to Penang route shows how Penang keeps adding links.
Hadi said he hopes more Sabahans will visit Penang and more Peninsular Malaysians will visit Sabah. He said the exchange helps Malaysians learn about each other’s cultures. In short, Penang to Sabah visitors already outnumber the return flow by a wide margin. The next test is whether new international flights add to it.
Maran Perianen
Sashidaran Gunathevan
CJMY
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