KUCHING: Sarawak's tourism sector is making steady progress in the early months of 2025, positioning the state to meet its target of five million tourist arrivals by the end of the year.

Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, revealed that while January typically sees lower tourist numbers compared to other months, the state has still performed well.

"In January this year, we recorded RM1.02 billion in tourism receipts, and the number of tourist arrivals exceeded 400,000. Despite being a slow month for tourism, these figures show that we are on track to achieve our target," said Dato Sri Abdul Karim during a press conference following the Sarawak Tourism Steering Committee Meeting on Thursday.

He noted that the largest group of tourists visiting Sarawak continues to come from neighbouring Brunei Darussalam, where monthly arrivals have increased from 150,000 to 200,000 in recent months.

Last year, Sarawak welcomed 4.8 million tourists, generating a total of RM12.4 billion in tourism receipts.

According to Dato Sri Abdul Karim, this influx has greatly benefitted various sectors across the state, including hospitality, transportation, homestays, and food-related businesses such as stalls and restaurants.

Looking ahead, the ministry is already supporting a substantial number of events to boost tourism.

"In 2024, we supported 248 events, and for this year, even though it’s only February, we anticipate supporting at least 250 events," he added.

Accompanying Dato Sri Abdul Karim at the press conference were Deputy Ministers for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, as well as the Chairman of the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), Dato Dennis Ngau, and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of MTCP, Desmond Douglas Jerukan. -UKASnews