By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Jan 15: Tourism in Sarawak thrived last year, nearly reaching its 5 million visitor target, with 4,971,197 tourists recorded and record-high tourism receipts generated.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said he had just received the final visitor arrival figures as of Dec 31, 2025.
“Our target for last year was 5 million. We did not manage to hit 5 million, but we almost did. The number that came in was 4,971,197, the highest ever achieved so far,” he said, speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony between the Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) and Yonex Sunrise at a hotel here today.
He added that Sarawak’s tourism receipts for the year totalled RM12.672 billion, setting a new record.
He noted that tourism revenue boosts hotels, restaurants, lodging operators, Airbnb accommodations, and also generates tax income for the federal government.
“For the past three years, I have set the target at 5 million. We haven’t reached it yet, but we are getting closer. I am confident that in 2026, we will surpass 5 million. We will announce whether the target will be 5 million or 5.2 million,” he said.
On visitor origins, he said Brunei recorded the highest number of arrivals, with hundreds of visitors coming in each week, which has helped Miri flourish.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Indonesia have also increased as air and road connectivity continues to improve. — DayakDaily
