By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 10: The recent floods in Sarawak may lead to a temporary dip in tourist arrivals from Brunei, with usual monthly figures of 150,000 to 200,000 visitors expected to decline slightly, according to Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Speaking to reporters after a function, Abdul Karim acknowledged that while the floods have badly affected areas such as Bintulu, Miri, Bekenu, and Sibuti, the situation has since returned to normal.
“The flood this time, although it looks a little worse in areas like Bintulu, Miri, Bekenu, and Sibuti, has receded.
“Maybe there are roads that have been damaged, but the relevant agencies are looking into that,” he said.
Despite the potential decrease in Brunei tourists, Abdul Karim does not foresee a significant disruption to Sarawak’s tourism sector.
“This is a global phenomenon. We see environmental problems everywhere—fires, floods, earthquakes. We just have to face it and hope that such incidents do not occur too frequently in our State,” he said. – DayakDaily
