KOTA KINABALU, Jan. 27 -- Bracing for some tough times ahead with potentially zero tourists from China, the Sabah tourism industry is hoping that the state government will step in and help cushion the expected blow in the coming months.

Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw said that the ban on Chinese tourists from areas affected by coronavirus will see some agencies go from full chartered flights to zero passengers with total estimated losses up to RM100 million a month.

"As Sabah depends on Chinese tourists - they comprise 45 per cent of the state's international arrivals, we expect a sharp drop in the next few months. This will lead to great losses for our inbound players, especially t...