KUCHING (June 25): Sarawak is optimistic in surpassing its previous record of receiving 4.6 million visitors from 2019, aiming to achieve a milestone of five million visitor arrivals by the end of this year.

With this goal in mind, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he has been monitoring the number of visitors arriving from January to May this year as there is a lot of excitement in Sarawak.

“I have never seen such an upsurge in visitors coming into Sarawak. The last time was in 2019 before Covid-19 happened. These numbers are sourced from the Immigration Department.

“This year, we will be having the biggest number of visitors. From the number of visitors, there are more foreigners that are coming into Sarawak than those from West Malaysia.

“By end of May, we’ve got more than two million visitors. I believe by December it should be almost or over five million visitors,” said Abdul Karim.

He said this in a speech during the ‘Positioning Sarawak as a Key Tourism Hub in Asean’ seminar at Grand Margherita here today.

Abdul Karim remarked that the seminar was timely, as Sarawak intensifies its efforts to achieve economic prosperity, social inclusivity, and a sustainable environment under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).

“Under this strategy that was rolled out back in 2021, our tourism sector has been identified as a key driver for Sarawak’s economic growth and it is aimed to make our state become another leading destination for eco-tourism and business events in the Asean region,” he said.

Commenting further, he said the seminar’s assembly of esteemed experts is commendable, featuring nine speakers and panellists from diverse fields such as aviation, digital platforms, gastronomy, geoparks, community development, and education.

“Similarly, it is our utmost hope that this seminar could provide a unique opportunity to explore fresh perspectives and strategies that can elevate Sarawak’s appeal to the global audience.

“With the participation of experts from outside of Sarawak, as well as other experts in various fields of tourism, we anticipate gaining valuable insights into Sarawak’s potential as a prominent Asean destination,” he added.

The ‘Positioning Sarawak as a Key Tourism Hub in Asean’ seminar was organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak in collaboration with AirAsia and Malaysia Transport Institute (Mitrans) of UiTM Shah Alam.

At the same event, Abdul Karim also lauded AirAsia team and congratulated the deputy chief executive officer of AirAsia Group Datuk Chester Voo for their 15th consecutive achievement as the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Airline’ from Skytrax.

“We hope AirAsia and its dynamic team will continue to grow in Sarawak, providing job opportunities to our local folks and helping the business community to grow too.

“We also look forward to working together with AirAsia and all stakeholders in the tourism industry in realising our mission as rightly outlined by the seminar’s theme – ‘Positioning Sarawak as a Key Tourism Hub in Asean’,” said Abdul Karim.

Among others present were Deputy Minister of Tourism Dato Sebastian Ting, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datu Sherrina Hussaini, Kuching South mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, UiTM Sarawak deputy rector (Academic and International Affairs) Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Isa Mohamadin, Mitrans director Associate Professor Ts Dr Wan Mazlina Wan Mohamed.

Link: https://www.theborneopost.com/2024/06/25/minister-upbeat-about-sarawak-receiving-more-visitors-this-year/