KOTA KINABALU, July 1 -- Sabah is recording a sharp increase in tourist arrivals from China, driven by rising travel demand and expanded flight capacity between Shanghai and Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin said that confidence in Sabah's tourism industry is still growing as visitor arrivals from China reached 292,396 between January and April this year, up from 195,147 in the same period last year.

"The continued expansion of air services shows clear confidence in Sabah as a preferred destination and reflects the positive trajectory of our tourism recovery," he said.

Air connectivity between Shanghai and Kota Kinabalu has been significantly strengthened, with China Eastern increasing schedul...