Malaysians voice frustration over Sabah tourism, citing high prices, weak hospitality, environmental decline and poor infrastructure despite rising visitors
LOCAL tourism has always been the a selling point, but concerns over service and value, particularly in Sabah, are raising serious questions.
@sirennextdoor shared their experience in Semporna on X, and the issues quickly drew reactions.
After returning from the trip, she wrote: “My conclusion? Going on holiday to Thailand or Indonesia is more worth it.”
While acknowledging that “Sabahans are genuinely kind,” she added that “the service quality isn’t great,” claiming travellers “pay five-star hotel prices but get three-star service.”
Many netizens agreed with her sentiment.
@SolidWasteguy responded: “Malaysians don’t really understand hospitality. No matter how expensive the hotel is, the attitude is the same.”
“It may be a cultural thing, everyone has a ‘boss-like’ attitude.”
On staffing, she added: “Many staff are SPM leavers and management doesn’t want to train them properly in hospitality”, while @SolidWasteguy replied that “hospitality can start from home”.
She also argued that the service hospitality “includes solving customer complaints and problems” and without initiative, “it’s very hard to progress.”
The concerns on Sabah’s own environment was also raised.
@wna_wm said that while everything was beautiful in 2022, their 2025 visit left them “very disappointed” as much had been polluted and “the water near the jetty isn’t clear anymore”.
@MalMalias wrote that Sabah tourism is “poorly managed” despite growing numbers of Chinese and Korean tourists, pointing to unfinished roads, “still damaged” airports, and ongoing structural and attitude issues.
Meanwhile, @annunxia claimed local tourists are often sidelined, saying those from Peninsular Malaysia are often treated as “third-class citizens.”
Though the post drew heavy criticism of Sabah’s tourism sector, the message is consistent: high prices, weak service, and slow improvements are driving Malaysians — even those who enjoy travelling locally — to look elsewhere.
