Case study · Our own websites
Building international demand for Sabah’s destinations
We test our methods on websites we own and operate before we advise others. This is what happened when we built a network of destination guides for overseas travellers, written to be relied on by AI assistants as well as by people.
Sector –Tourism | Audience – Overseas travellers | Period – June to October 2026
1 in 4
280+
29+
AI share: Google Analytics, our three largest sites, June to October 2026. Enquiries: unique enquiries, 1 August to 14 October 2026; countries inferred from enquirers’ telephone codes.
Situation
Travellers could
not find what
they needed
Travellers could
not find what
they needed
Sabah’s rainforests, wildlife reserves and islands draw travellers from around the world, but the information available to them was thin.
Travellers planning a trip asked detailed questions: how to get there, how many days to allow, what they might see and when, which operators were licensed. Most answers were scattered across booking platforms, old forum posts and brief listings, much of it outdated and much of it directing travellers to companies outside the state.
Increasingly, overseas travellers were asking these questions to AI assistants instead of search engines. An assistant can only recommend what it can find and trust.
Approach
Answer the
real questions,
then answer
every enquiry
We built a network of destination websites, each devoted to one place and written to answer the questions travellers actually ask, in depth.
Each site sets out clear, consistent facts: access, timing, wildlife, accommodation, costs and what to expect. Content is structured so that search engines and AI assistants can read it reliably and cite it with confidence. Travellers who want to go further can send an enquiry directly from the page.
Being recommended is only half the job. Every enquiry is handled through our Enquiry Desk and passed to licensed Sabah tour operators, who manage the booking and payment.
How the Enquiry Desk handles each enquiry
Capture
Every enquiry is logged in one place, whatever site it came from.
Check
Repeat enquiries from the same traveller are identified.
Prioritise
Urgent requests are flagged by travel date, with a daily alert.
Respond
A quotation reaches the traveller through a licensed operator.
Follow up
Every traveller receives a follow-up, so no enquiry is lost.
Results
AI assistants became
a leading source of customers
AI assistants became
a leading source of customers
Within ten weeks the network was producing a steady flow of enquiries from overseas, and AI assistants had become one of its most valuable sources.
Enquiries by month
Unique traveller enquiries, all sites
Visitors who went on to enquire
By source, on our largest site
What we learned
Lessons for
organisations
serving international
audiences
These lessons now shape how we advise clients in tourism, investment promotion, education and medical travel.
International audiences move first
Across Malaysia, AI assistants still send well under 1% of search traffic. On our websites, which serve overseas travellers, it is already one in four. Organisations serving them cannot wait for the local market to catch up.
AI visitors arrive ready to act
Someone who has already asked an assistant for a recommendation arrives with a shortlist of one. They enquire at a far higher rate than visitors from a page of search results.
Depth and accuracy are what get cited
Assistants favour sources that answer questions fully and consistently. Thin or outdated information is passed over, however well known the organisation.
Recommendation is only half the job
Demand is wasted if enquiries go unanswered. A disciplined process for capturing, prioritising and following up every enquiry matters as much as being found.
Mudah Templates Sdn Bhd does not sell tours or accept payment from travellers. Bookings are made with, and paid to, licensed tour operators.
Case study
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