Sabah Tourism Board (STB) continues to shine on the global stage, securing a prestigious gold award from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) Travel Mart, here, Thursday.
The state agency was selected by Pata’s independent judging panel as the 2023 Pata Gold Award Winner in the category of “Travel Video - Catching Sabah”, in conjunction with its travel event.
Collaborating with Huntwo Studios, STB crafted a captivating 5.45-minute video portraying Sabah’s diverse allure, encompassing urban exploration and nature’s wonders.
The video also showcases wildlife encounters, underwater marvels, a culinary paradise, cultural heritage and the State’s multiethnic communities.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister cum STB Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, accompanied by CEO Noredah Othman, received the award during the Pata Gold Awards Lunch and Presentation hosted by the Macao Government Tourism Office.
Macao Government Tourism Officer Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and Pata Chairman Peter Semone presented the award held at the International Exhibition Convention Centre here.
In his remarks, Joniston highlighted the transformative power of STB’s promotional videos.
“Winning such an award emphasises the need for STB to maintain its momentum and live up to expectation, showcasing our agency’s capable leadership and dedicated team in driving the State’s tourism.
“The Board will persist in creating innovative and creative marketing and promotional efforts to showcase Sabah from every angle,” he affirmed.
Joniston stressed that the Board’s mission is to exhibit the abundance Sabah has to offer, adding STB is actively engaged in creating video content with fresh perspectives to appeal to travellers across all categories, be it for leisure or business.
Last month, STB won Asia’s Leading Regional Tourist Board at the 30th Annual World Travel Awards in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
It also won bronze for Best Communication of Social Media at the 4th Asean PR Excellence Awards with its “Fly Me To Sabah” campaign.  
Joniston’s presence in India was not only to receive the award but also to lead STB delegates in attending forums at the Pata Travel Mart and meet with key industry players.
This engagement was also aimed at building valuable business connections with key players in the travel industry, fostering a deeper understanding of travel trends, and enticing them to explore the wonders of Sabah.
Also present were deputy chief executive officer Julinus Jimit and senior marketing manager Humphrey Ginibun.
“I have relayed this to Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) officials to cooperate because the approach used in the past was different. We do not use these Islamic agencies solely for religious programmes.
“When I conducted the mid-term review of 12MP, I sent the draft to the Director-General of Jakim and asked her for input, not on the religious-related initiatives (but) on 12MP,” he said when officiating the Islamic Affairs Management Convention, in conjunction with the “Ijtimak Perdana Agensi Agama Seluruh Malaysia (IJPAM 2023)”, at the Sabah International Convention Centre, here, Wednesday night.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Bin Mohd Ali; and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Nai’im Mokhtar.
The Prime Minister said the input was important so that he could present 12MP as an injection and view from Islamic experts so that the spirit of Madani could be applied.
He added that Malaysia Madani is also an important ‘perencah’ (seasoning) in the Budget 2024, which will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 13.
The six-day IJPAM 2023, to conclude on Oct 5, saw the participation of 1,837 participants from various Islamic affairs agencies, at the federal and state levels nationwide.