Abd Karim: Sarawak nears 5 mln visitor mark with record tourism receipts last year

KUCHING (Jan 16): Sarawak came close to achieving its five million visitor arrivals target last year, recording its highest tourism performance to date in both arrivals and receipts, said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said visitor arrivals to Sarawak reached 4,971,197 as of Dec 31 last year, falling short of the five-million target by about 28,800 visitors.

“We did not manage to hit the five-million target, but we almost did. This is the highest number of visitor arrivals Sarawak has ever achieved,” he told a press conference here.

Despite missing the target, Abdul Karim said Sarawak recorded its highest tourism receipts ever, amounting to about RM12.6 billion from January to December 2025.

“This is a very big amount and the highest tourism receipts we have ever achieved,” he said, noting that the strong performance benefitted the hospitality sector, including hotels, restaurants, lodging houses, and bed-and-breakfast operators.

“When we talk about tourism receipts, the money does not go directly into government coffers. It goes into the industry.

“But when the industry earns, they pay taxes, and this is how the government, including the federal government, benefits,” he added.

The minister described Sarawak’s tourism industry as thriving, with visitor numbers steadily approaching the five-million mark over the past three years.

“Hopefully by 2026, we will achieve that elusive five million. It is getting nearer and nearer,” he said, expressing confidence that Sarawak would surpass the target next year.

Abdul Karim also said the state government is finalising its visitor arrival target for 2026, which could be set at five million or increased to 5.2 million.

On source markets, he said Brunei remained Sarawak’s largest contributor of visitors, with hundreds of thousands crossing over regularly.

“Brunei is the biggest. Practically every week, a few hundred thousand come in,” he said, adding that the strong Bruneian presence has contributed significantly to the economic vibrancy of Miri.

Apart from Brunei, Indonesia continued to be a key market for Sarawak, supported by good connectivity through both air and road links.