By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 21: Sarawak recorded 439,968 visitor arrivals in August this year, up 6.53 per cent from 413,018 in the same month last year, while international visitor arrivals rose to 275,800 from 244,903 over the same period.
According to a TVS report, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the increase reflected growth in both overall visitor arrivals and the international segment.
“For August 2026, the total was 439,968. Compared to the same period in August 2025, when we recorded 413,018 visitors, there was an increase of 6.53 per cent.
“The number of foreign visitors also increased to 275,800, compared to 244,903 in August last year,” he told reporters after attending the Sarawak Museum Department’s Appreciation Night 2026 at a hotel here last night (Sept 20).
Overall, from January to August 2026, Sarawak recorded 3,160,448 visitor arrivals, down 1.41 per cent from 3,205,519 recorded during the same period in 2025.
On medical tourism, he said the segment continued to show strong potential in Sarawak, as visitors seeking treatment were likely to choose destinations with quality healthcare facilities and services, driving demand for medical tourism in the State.
He also acknowledged that developments in the Middle East and current flight-related issues could affect travel plans to Sarawak.
Nevertheless, Abdul Karim remained confident visitor arrivals would increase in the remaining months of the year, driven by various tourism programmes and events planned in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year. — DayakDaily
