By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Feb 13: Sarawak has recorded a significant increase in visitor arrivals, with 400,531 tourists visiting the State in January 2025 alone, marking a 13.47 per cent growth compared to the same period last year.
According to ministry data, Sarawak welcomed 233,404 foreign visitors in January 2025, while the remaining 167,127 were domestic tourists.
Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP), Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, mentioned that this upward trend is expected to continue, with projections indicating that Sarawak will exceed its target of five million tourist arrivals by the end of the year.
“The tourism industry is showing positive indicators, with a substantial increase in visitor arrivals and spending. For January alone, our tourism receipts have reached RM1.025 billion. If this trend continues, we could see over RM12 billion injected into Sarawak’s economy by December,” he said during a press conference after the official launch of the Sarawak MTCP Integrity Day 2025 at a prominent hotel here today.
He further emphasised that tourism revenue directly benefits Sarawak’s economy, flowing into key sectors such as hospitality, food and beverage, transportation, and local businesses.
Abdul Karim highlighted the role of air connectivity in supporting Sarawak’s tourism boom, particularly with the launch of AirBorneo airlines.
As Sarawak gears up to become the ‘Gateway to Borneo’ and prepares for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the minister called on all stakeholders to uphold integrity as the guiding principle of the tourism sector.
“We must celebrate integrity so that it becomes the cornerstone of our tourism industry,” he said earlier in his speech.
The event was attended by dignitaries and officials, including MTCP deputy ministers Datuk Sebastian Ting and Datuk Snowdan Lawan, MTCP permanent secretary Datu Sherrina Hussaini, and STB chief executive officer (CEO) Sharzede Salleh Askor. — DayakDaily
