S’wak records RM4.17 bil in tourism receipts in Q1 2024, increase from RM3.27 bil in 2023

Abdul Karim (centre) signing the tablet as a gimmick to launch the Sarawak Tourism Destination Resilience Workshop, while his deputy Dato Snowdan Lawan (second left), Sarawak Tourism Board chairman Dato Dennis Ngau (left), Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor (second right), and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) chief executive officer Noor Ahmad Hamid (right) look on.

By Christopher Lidom

KUCHING, May 20: Sarawak has recorded approximately RM4.17 billion in tourism receipts in the first quarter of 2024.

In disclosing this, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it is an increase of 27.43 per cent as compared to RM3.272 billion received for the same period last year.

“From the period of January to April 2024, our visitor arrivals stood at 1,615,912 compared to the same period in 2023 at 1,288,036, showcasing an increase of 25.46 per cent. From this figure, foreign arrivals stood at 997,451 compared to 2023 at 705,863, showcasing an increase of 41.31 per cent.

“For the same period, domestic arrivals were 618,461 compared to 2023, at 582,173, an increase of 6.23 per cent,” he said during the launching ceremony of the Sarawak Tourism Destination Resilience Workshop at Imperial Hotel today.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said the Sarawak Tourism Destination Resilience Programme is an initiative organised to equip stakeholders with the necessary tools and strategies to navigate crises effectively, ensuring sustainable tourism growth in Sarawak.

He also said that it also aims to fortify the Sarawak tourism ecosystem against future shocks and uncertainties.

“Developed in collaboration with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), this programme represents a crucial step forward in our journey towards sustainable tourism development,” he added. — DayakDaily