Datuk Joniston Bangkuai with Lufthansa City Center (LCC) Managing Director Heiko Brix (2nd left) and Senior Business Development Manager Andrej Skraba (3rd right). Also pictured are Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Deputy Chairman Datuk Tan Kok Liang (right), the Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion (left) and STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit (2nd right).
BERLIN, GERMANY: – Lufthansa City Center (LCC), a global travel agency franchiser based in Frankfurt, is expected to bring 45 travel agencies to Sabah for its Regional Meeting APAC (Asia-Pacific).
The agents from the Asia-Pacific region and Europe will gather for the meeting in May at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Kota Kinabalu, with registration now open.
This is the first time Sabah has been chosen as the meeting venue, following an earlier site visit that left a strong impression.
On Tuesday, LCC Managing Director Heiko Brix and Senior Business Development Manager Andrej Skraba met with Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Joniston Bangkuai at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin) to formally convey LCC’s decision to hold its APAC regional meeting in Kota Kinabalu.
Present were Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Deputy Chairman Datuk Tan Kok Liang, the Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion and STB Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit.
Brix and Skraba expressed admiration for Sabah’s natural beauty, rich culture, and diverse wildlife, calling it an ideal meeting destination.
“We had several options, but after visiting Sabah for a site inspection, we were completely blown away,” they said.
They requested STB to do a presentation on Sabah’s attractions, particulary its nature and community tourism, during their regional meeting.
LCC also expressed their appreciation on the support given by the Sabah Tourism in facilitating this event.
Joniston suggested that LCC, during their stay in Kota Kinabalu, evaluate the State Capital as a potential host for its General Assembly, which gathers over 500 LCC entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and global visionaries.
Tan, who is also the President of the Malaysian Tourism Federation and the Federation of ASEAN Travel Associations, was involved in efforts to bring the group to Sabah.
“Sabah has so much to offer, and we look forward to working together to create meaningful opportunities for the tourism industry,” he said.
Founded in 1991, LCC operates as a global travel agency franchiser with a presence of around 600 locations in 110 countries.
Its franchise model combines an international network with localized expertise, ensuring relevance across diverse markets.
Joniston is leading the Sabah Tourism Board delegation to the three-day ITB Berlin, which will conclude on March 6
