KUCHING: Sarawak is targeting to receive 1.2 million visitors and generate RM3.2 billion tourism receipts for this year.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the figure can be achieved if the reopening of the country’s border next month could be materialised.
He said it is hoped that the COVID-19 situation will improve and to bring back more tourists and visitors to the state.
“We can see that the number of visitors coming into Sarawak has shot up by 400 to about 500 per cent for January to February as compared to the same period last year.
“So, it looks like we are slowly getting back to normal and we anticipate to have 1.2 million to Sarawak,” he said in a press conference after attending the Sarawak Tourism Steering Committee Meeting (STSC) 2022 here today.
Abdul Karim said Sarawak is expecting more tourist arrivals from Brunei, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.
“Malaysia and Brunei have recently come to an agreement on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), so I believe the number of tourists from Brunei visiting Sarawak will increase too,” he said, adding Sarawak had a huge number of visitors from Brunei before the pandemic.
“We also hope that medical tourism catches up when the country’s borders open gradually.,” he said.
Abdul Karim said visitor arrivals in Sarawak had dropped 74 per cent, from 4,662,419 in 2019 to 1,199,872 in 2020. The tourism receipt had declined 75 per cent as compared to 2019 to just RM 2.88 billion in 2020 which is an estimated total loss of RM 8.69 billion.
In 2021, he said, visitor arrivals plunged 80 per cent to 235,245 as compared to the same corresponding period in 2020.
“So, give us another one or two years, once the confidence level (to travel around) from the people has come back, the numbers of visitors will shoot up, that’s the way I see it,” he said.
“Most importantly is to ensure visitors to the state are fully vaccinated and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he added.
Karim also launched Sarawak’s Tourism Quick Fact Book 2021 and Calendar of Event 2022 in both electronic form at https://mtcp.sarawak.gov.my and printed copies at the event.
“We are confident that people will start to travel and visit Sarawak this year as the situation is improving, hence, we have planned various events for our tourism calendar 2022,” he said.
The meeting earlier had witnessed the launch of the Calendar of Tourism Events 2022 for Sarawak.
He said there will be more events to be held along the way (rather than those listed in the tourism calendar), such as the Miss Tourism International, which is going to be held in Sarawak again.
He said the event was held for the first time in Sarawak 25 years ago.
“We are also looking forward to the upcoming events such as the Citrawarna Malaysia, as well as other festivals and extreme sports events to be held,” he said.
Also present were Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Permanent Secretary Hii Chang Kee; Assistant Minister of Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan; and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chairman Dennis Ngau.
