KUCHING, Oct 20 2026: Sarawak registered 3.52 million visitor arrivals for the January-September 2026 period, generating a remarkable RM9.0 billion in tourism receipts, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said in his winding up speech in the State Legislative Assembly (SLA) today.
He said the Asean region maintained as the state's major market with Brunei and Indonesia constitute 46.5 per cent of the visitors, while Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand also contributed significantly to the visitor arrivals.
He said the tourism sector continues to contribute significantly to Sarawak’s economy.
"In 2025, Sarawak generated approximately RM12.67 billion in tourism receipts, grew 1.75 per cent from the previous year," Karim said.
He said over the past five years, Sarawak’s tourism sector has successfully maneuvered the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic which led to low visitor arrivals of just 0.23 million visitors in 2021 compared to 4.66 million in 2019.
He said Sarawak staged a remarkable recovery with visitor arrivals surged to 4.83 million in 2024 and 4.97 million in 2025.
Karim said his ministry is dedicated to advancing Sarawak’s tourism industry by leveraging its unique strengths and remain highly responsive to market demands and global sensitivities.
