The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) says it was kept busy addressing inquiries about Sabah’s Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) Campaign at the recently concluded World Travel Mart (WTM) in London.

The state’s Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is also STB chairman, said the strong interest in Sabah’s experiential tourism offerings reflects the campaign’s growing appeal.

“Sabah tourism players attending WTM received numerous meeting requests from UK-based and other international travel companies keen to learn more about the state’s CAN experiences and packages,” Bangkuai said in an interview with WTM TV.

He said a newly signed memorandum of cooperation between STB and Intrepid Travel UK would boost the CAN campaign’s goals.

He added that Sabah’s rich cultural and natural diversity will continue to elevate indigenous community-based tourism in rural areas.

While at WTM, held from Nov 5 to 7, Bangkuai met with Sir George Jessel and Tim Appleton, founder of the Rutland Global Bird Fair, to discuss potential collaborations.

Sir George, a descendant of Sir Charles Jessel, after whom Sabah’s capital Jesselton was named during the North Borneo Chartered Company era, recently proposed establishing a Jesselton Gallery in Kota Kinabalu after a visit to Sabah.