Football: Sabah marry sports with tourism as they launch tour package

KOTA KINABALU – Football fans are in for a treat as they have the chance for a one-on-one session with their favourite Sabah FC players while going on holiday to the Borneo state.

From as low as RM330, the tourism package called “Bola in the City,” introduced by Tourism Malaysia in special collaboration with Sabah FC, will be available until the end of this Super League season.

Deputy Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said the first edition of the programme was held from October to December last year.

Following its success, a decision was made to expand the programme and list more tourism locations to choose from.

“Due to the positive response we received when we launched the first Bola in the City package (in October 2022), we decided to continue with the second edition this year.

“Our main reason for promoting the package is to catapult the domestic tourism sector. Sabah is also among the states that contributed most to the airline industry and the country’s economy.

“Sabah’s football industry may not be as big as other states. Hence, when we created this package, we wanted to educate Malaysians about the beauty of Sabah while exposing them to how the sports industry thrives,” he said when met after launching the programme here, today.

Khairul Firdaus, who is also former Sabah FC chief executive officer, added that football should be managed professionally as done by Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT).

As such, with the tourism package, he hoped that Sabah could emulate JDT’s success in taking football to another level by assimilating sports into tourism.

“JDT is a perfect example of a successful football club. But it was not done overnight. They took time to be where they are today.

“Their success needs to be emulated for the benefit of our football industry.

“As such, our focus is to figure out the future development of our football clubs and for them to be self-sustainable business entities.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board’s senior domestic and events division director, Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof, said the first edition of Bola in the City last year generated more than RM30,000 in revenue for a period of three months.

“There were not a lot of options offered back then. So, we decided to expand and offer more programmes and places to visit and collaborated with more tourism agencies.

“Most of the time, a person who bought the package would add on more travel plans for their family members when they visited Sabah.

“However, it does not include flight and hotel bookings,” he said. 

Tourists who buy the package not only would have the chance to meet and interact with Sabah FC players, but also watch closed training sessions prior to their Super League matches this season at the Likas Stadium.

They will also have the chance to enjoy the game with legendary Sabah footballers like Hassan Sani, Matlan Marjan, and Burhan Ajui.

The package also offers tourists visits to famous destinations such as Manukan Island and Monsopiad Heritage Village, and enjoy exquisite seafood at some of the best restaurants recommended by Tourism Malaysia.

More information is available at www.sabah-fc.com and the Tourism Malaysia Sabah Facebook page. – The Vibes, April 28, 2023