Museum Department to showcase Sarawak's rich history and cultural heritage at next month's ICOMOS in France

KUCHING, Sept 21 2026: The Sarawak Museums Department will showcase the state's rich history and cultural heritage to the international stage through participation in the 22nd General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in France next month.

Caption: Tourism Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says that the Museum Department's participation in the world-class gathering is an important platform to promote Sarawak's rich cultural heritage to the international community.

Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the gathering, which takes place from October 17 to 24, brings together more than 1,500 heritage experts and policymakers from 110 countries.

According to him, the department's participation in the world-class gathering is an important platform to promote Sarawak's rich cultural heritage to the international community.

"This world-class gathering, which brings together more than 1,500 heritage experts and policymakers from 110 countries, is the best platform to promote Malaysia's cultural heritage," he said at the Sarawak Museum Department's 2026 Appreciation Night last night.

He added that the department will also take the opportunity to introduce the uniqueness of Sarawak's heritage through four special programs organised in conjunction with the conference.

He said the programmes in question are the Night at the Museum: Sarawak Authentic Gastronomy, Sarawak Museum Talk, Sarawak Museum Heritage Walk as well as Tour Guide services at heritage sites.

"This initiative will highlight the uniqueness of local culinary, historical, and cultural arts to international visitors," he said.

In a related development, Karim said the department is also strengthening efforts to preserve and promote the state's heritage through various education, promotion and community engagement programmes.

Among them is the Fort Touring Programme: Exploring Heritage and History which provides historical exposure to the younger generation and local communities around Fort Alice in Sri Aman, Fort Lily in Betong, Fort Brooke in Julau and Fort Emma in Kanowit.

The programme will start at Kubu Lily, Betong in conjunction with the Sarawakku Sayang event from 25 to 27 September.

Sarawak registers 439,968 visitor arrivals last month, compared to 413,018 in August last year

KUCHING, Sept 21 2026:  Visitor arrivals to Sarawak rose by 6.53 per cent to 439,968 in August 2026, up from 413,018 during the same period last year, signaling a recovery following the decline recorded in July.

Caption: Tourism Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says visitor arrivals increased by 6.53 per cent in August this year compared to same period of last year

Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the increase was driven by various programmes organised throughout the period.

He noted that foreign visitor arrivals also increased to 275,800 in August this year, compared to 244,903 in the same month of 2025.

“For August 2026, the total was 439,968 visitors. When compared to the same period in August 2025, which saw 413,018 arrivals, there is an increase of 6.53 per cent,” he said when met by reporters after the Sarawak Museum Department Appreciation Night last night.

According to him, the rise in visitor arrivals also impacted Sarawak’s tourism receipts, which recorded approximately RM1.14 billion in August 2026, compared to RM1.06 billion during the same period last year.

He added that for the period from January to August 2026, Sarawak recorded 3,160,448 visitor arrivals compared to 3,205,519 in the same period of 2025, a slight decline of about 1.41 per cent.

Karim said that he still expects visitor arrival numbers to rise towards the end of the year, driven by various scheduled programmes and activities, particularly those taking place from mid-year through to the end of the year.

“I am not worried because there are usually plenty of events scheduled from mid-month through to the end of the year. I anticipate an increase,” he said.

However, he explained that the target of reaching five million visitors this year may present a challenge to achieve, with the total figure expected to remain above four million.

He noted that flight conditions and current developments in the Middle East are among the possible factors influencing the momentum of visitor arrivals to Sarawak.

He added that these circumstances could potentially lead to flight disruptions or cause tourists to alter their travel plans.

“Given the situation in the Middle East and other factors, I foresee some issues regarding flights. I am not overly optimistic,” he said.

Commenting on the haze currently affecting Sarawak, he stated that the situation has the potential to impact the tourism sector, particularly if it persists. -