KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, is confident that Sarawak will achieve its target of 3 million visitors coming into the state by 2023.
Abdul Karim said in the first three months of 2023, the number of visitors arriving in Sarawak reached 323,960, while the corresponding period in 2022 recorded only 86,881 visitors, indicating a growth of 272.88 per cent.
Of this figure, he mentioned that foreigners made up 496,636 visitors compared to only 10,563 in 2022, while the domestic sector accounted for 427,361 visitors compared to 219,115 in 2022, representing a growth of 95.04 per cent.
“We are very much on target this year. I expect that by September or October, we will reach the 3 million target. By December, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hit the 4 million mark,” he told reporters today (April 23).
Regarding tourism receipts, he said the first three months of this year generated RM817.75 million, while the corresponding period in 2022 generated RM195.54 million.
Abdul Karim cited the confidence of visitors in travelling, various upcoming events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), as well as promotions held overseas by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) as contributing factors to these figures.
“For the first three months, it is usually considered a slow period, but from June onwards, there are so many events in Sarawak. We practically have something going on in the state every week.”
“Promotions have also been conducted overseas by STB and BESarawak. The Premier has also been travelling around giving talks, and Sarawak is being given attention, particularly in the energy sector. These are the things that put the state in the limelight and contribute to the number of visitors coming in,” he added.
He expressed confidence that the state will continue to receive an influx of tourists for the next six months, and the numbers will increase next year.
