Sarawak allocates RM323 million to its tourism ministry for 2026, following a strong year with RM10.22 billion in tourism receipts.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has been allocated RM323 million under the 2026 State Budget.
State Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the allocation is crucial for developing infrastructure and strengthening tourism marketing.
He revealed that RM129 million is earmarked for development expenditure, with RM194 million allocated for operating expenditure.
The allocation follows a strong industry performance, with tourism receipts reaching RM10.22 billion between January and October this year.
ALSO READ: Budget 2026: Tax incentives to boost tourism sector, drive VM2026 campaign
Visitor arrivals for the first ten months of 2024 totalled 4.01 million, reflecting a resilient recovery.
“Tourism continues to stimulate Sarawak’s economy,” Abdul Karim said during his budget wind-up speech at the State Assembly.
He noted that the increase in arrivals has generated strong spillover benefits for local communities and related sectors.
ASEAN remains the state’s strongest market, led by Brunei Darussalam with over 1.3 million arrivals.
Indonesia contributed 583,568 visitors, while China, Singapore, and the Philippines were other top international contributors.
Domestic tourism remained highly relevant, with 1,769,561 visitors from other parts of Malaysia.
These domestic travellers constituted 44.1% of total visitor arrivals for the period.
Abdul Karim expects further growth in visitor arrivals in the coming years.
This growth is anticipated through continuous marketing, product diversification, and enhanced air connectivity.
He highlighted that a large proportion of future global tourists will originate from the Asia Pacific region.
“China, Korea and Japan [are] the key drivers of this outbound demand,” he added. – Bernama
