KUCHING: Sarawak’s tourism sector is on a robust growth trajectory when over 1.6 million visitors were already recorded within the first four months of this year, putting it on the right track to achieve its 2025 target of five million visitors, said State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said the visitors’ arrival to date had also given him the confidence that Sarawak could register RM12.73 billion in tourism receipts this year.
“Tourism receipts reached RM12.45 billion in 2024, up from RM9.99 billion in 2023. From January to April this year, we have already generated RM4.07 billion,“ he said when winding up on behalf of the ministry at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly here today.
According to him, Sarawak welcomed 4.83 million visitors last year, a 23 per cent increase compared to the previous year, and this exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic figures by 3.63 per cent.
He said the majority of Sarawak’s international tourists come from neighbouring ASEAN countries. Brunei Darussalam topped the list with 1.89 million visitors, followed by Indonesia (653,883), Singapore (59,793), and the Philippines (46,853).
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim also told the august House that under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Sarawak has allocated RM382.57 million, supplemented by an additional RM136.44 million under Projek Rakyat and RM49.9 million in federal funds via the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to improve tourism infrastructure.
He said the completed projects include conservation works on historic forts, ecotourism facilities at Santubong National Park, upgrades to the Melasak Waterfall Tourism Centre, and enhancements to the Sarawak Cultural Village.
On the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) programme, he said it had seen growing interest since 2020 and as of this month, 3,141 applications have been approved since its inception in 2007.
“In 2024, 560 approvals under SMM2H brought in RM111.6 million in fixed deposits, while 265 approvals in early 2025 have added another RM65.3 million,“ he said, adding that top participants for the programme hail from China, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States.
