Abdul Karim (centre) seen with the Raya Emas: Salako Sacred Treasure film executive producer Winson Voon (left) and political secretary to the Premier, Niponi Undek, who represented the Salako community for the event.
KUCHING (Feb 20): The state recorded an impressive 352,983 tourist arrivals for the first month of this year, which is very encouraging for Sarawak, said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, the number represents a notable increase of 10.63 per cent compared to the same period last year, which saw 319,064 tourists visiting the state.
“This upward trend in both tourist arrivals and revenue sets a positive benchmark for our tourism recovery efforts. It demonstrates our steady progress towards achieving our target of welcoming four million visitors to Sarawak by the end of this year,” he said during a press conference at the Borneo Cultures Museum today.
He emphasised the significance of the growth, highlighting that the total tourist arrivals also translated to a substantial increase in tourism revenue.
He said the recorded tourism receipts for the first month of this year amounted to RM907.37 million, marking a significant rise from RM809.37 million during the same period last year.
“That reflects a commendable increase of 12.11 per cent,” he said.
Buoyed by this surge in tourist numbers, Abdul Karim expressed confidence in meeting the ambitious tourism target set for this year.
He cited various upcoming major events scheduled in the state, including the Rain Forest Music Festival, Spartan Race, Jazz Festival, Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024, Kuching International Marathon, and the Sarawak Regatta as key drivers expected to attract more visitors.
“Sarawak is poised to reclaim its position as a premier tourist destination, and we are committed to leveraging these upcoming events to further boost tourism and achieve our targets,” he said.
With Sarawak aiming for four million visitor arrivals in 2024, he hence said that the promising start to the year offers hope for a good tourism year for Sarawak.
Before the press conference, Abdul Karim was attending a media briefing on the film entitled ‘Raya Emas: Salako Sacred Treasure’ which was also held at the Borneo Cultures Museum.