BY GABRIEL LIHAN & ELEAZAR BARRICK PETER
KUCHING: The number of visitors to the state this year has increased and will surpass the three million target by next month, said Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said, “I am very happy to say that the number of visitors coming to Sarawak has reached more or less the same level as the pre-COVID-19 period.
“Our tourism industry and hospital industry have returned to normal,” he said.
Abdul Karim revealed that the state had already welcomed 2.65 million visitors this year.
Adding further, he said the number of foreign tourists visiting the state from January to August this year had increased tremendously compared to the same period last year.
He disclosed that between January and August this year, a total of 1,414,443 foreign visitors entered Sarawak compared to last year’s total of only 206,328.
“Last year, there were only 691,515 domestic visitors. However, this year, there were 1,179, 593 domestic visitors from January to August,” he told a press conference at Telang Usan Hotel yesterday after officiating WAK 2023 Festival Calendar Reveal.
Abdul Karim highlighted that last year, people were still scared to travel although the borders had already opened but this year, people were more confident in travelling.
He said that the majority of countries entering Sarawak were from Europe and Australia.
“I was in Beijing last week, and I can see that the Chinese government is not really encouraging its population to go out (to travel overseas), and probably the reason is to develop local tourism.
“But give them (Chinese tourists) a little bit of time, once they start moving out, that will also push up the numbers,”he added.
