Abd Karim: Sarawak on track for 5 mln visitors, RM12.73 bln tourism receipts in 2025
Abdul Karim shows the texts of his ministerial winding up speeches. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 27): Sarawak is on track to achieve its target of 5 million visitors, generating an estimated RM12.73 billion in tourism receipts for 2025, said Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said that this is in view of the arrival of more than 1.6 million visitors recorded between January and April this year.
'Asean is our key tourism market, with Brunei Darussalam contributing the largest share of visitor arrivals, accounting for 1,891,314 visitors (39.1 per cent), followed by Indonesia with 653,883 visitors (13.5 per cent).
'Singapore and the Philippines contributed 1.2 per cent (59,793 visitors) and one per cent (46,853 visitors) respectively, while China has become a significant contributor with 1.5 per cent (74,721 visitors),' he said when delivering his ministerial winding up speech during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Abdul Karim said from January to April 2025, Sarawak continued to receive a large number of visitors from Brunei Darussalam (514,015) and Indonesia (236,054).
Additionally, China (24,865), Singapore (18,637) and The Philippines (14,482) remain among the top five contributors.
Regarding tourism receipts, he said Sarawak achieved RM4.07 billion from January to April this year.
'In 2024, Sarawak's tourism receipts were RM12.45 billion compared to RM9.99 billion in 2023,' he said.
Abdul Karim further highlighted that the major contributors to the state's gross domestic product (GDP) are the services sector, comprising of sub-sectors like tourism, utilities, transportation, information and communication, finance and insurance, real estate, and business service.
'In 2024, the services sector contributed RM58.21 billion or 39 per cent of the economy, compared to RM54.54 billion in 2023.
'Out of this, the tourism sector's contribution to the services sector was 21 per cent,' he said. 2025 Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah lead target tourism receipts visitors
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