Sarawak’s international tourism impacted by Middle East crisis

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By Dayangku Hidayatul

KUCHING, March 5: The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted Sarawak’s tourism sector, with international flights and travel operations significantly affected.

Minister of Tourism, Creative and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, highlighted the situation during a press conference at BaitulMakmur II in Petra Jaya today, citing the recent tourism fair in Berlin.

Despite Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) participation, many Sarawakian leaders and representatives were absent, reflecting the conflict’s impact on promotional efforts.

“I know my Deputy Minister Datuk Sebastian Ting and STB CEO Dato Dennis Ngau were supposed to attend but had to cancel at the last minute because flights through the Middle East were unavailable,” he said.

While STB and a few travel agents were able to attend, Abdul Karim noted that the limited presence underscored how global tensions are affecting Sarawak’s international tourism initiatives.

“We hope the situation in the Middle East calms down soon. This arises when leaders favour conflict over dialogue, always seeking confrontation,” he said, urging for responsible leadership.

“Violent wars not only harm tourism but also threaten global stability. Many flights are disrupted, and thousands of people are stranded. It is truly unfortunate,” he added.

Abdul Karim warned that prolonged conflict could affect major events in Sarawak, including the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in June, and might cause European visitors to reconsider travel plans. Malaysians intending trips to the Middle East may also alter their plans.

“Sarawak’s tourism sector relies heavily on visitors from Europe, especially from countries like Germany and the United Kingdom, which are among the top contributors to our visitor arrivals,” he said.

On repatriation efforts, he explained that Malaysia would respond based on the conflict’s severity.

“Unless the situation becomes life-threatening, Malaysia may not send planes. If conditions worsen, the government may arrange flights to bring people home. For now, we will monitor and hope for calm,” he added. — DayakDaily

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