KOTA KINABALU: Sabah wants to promote its medical tourism as a preferred health destination among Indonesian tourists.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the state had high-quality standards of healthcare services to meet the demands.
He said it was the right time for Sabah to target the Indonesian market following the plans by Batik Air to launch direct flights to the state.
Jafry said Batik Air was planning to fly direct from Kalimantan to include the cities of Pontianak and Balikpapan.
He said this during a meeting with Batik Air's chief executive officer Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri, general manager Muhammad Ariff Abdul Aziz, and some of the airline's staff at Glenmarie Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Jafry said Sabah should seize the opportunity as medical tourism is now a trend and they also have the potential to spend more than ordinary tourists.
He said medical tourists could also spend time to explore the 'nature healing' concept of the tourism locations in Sabah.
"The state is famous for its natural beauty, flora and fauna. This will give a positive impact during the healing process," he said.