KUCHING: Sarawak is expecting to exceed the target of three million visitor arrivals this year, said State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said as of last month, Sarawak has recorded 1.6 million visitors.
"For this year, we expect visitor arrivals to exceed our target of three million as we are off to a good start," he said in his speech at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Destination Experience Forum and Mart 2023 at the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching, here, earlier today (June 22).
Abdul Karim said in Sarawak, the tourism industry is a crucial economic sector which generated RM11.57 billion in tourism receipts during the pre-pandemic period in 2019.
He said the ministry foresees continued recovery throughout this year driven by both domestic and international visitors.
"While international tourism steadily bounces back, domestic tourism will also continue to drive the recovery of the region's tourism industry," he said. – Bernama