Kuching: The Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has been allocated RM323 million under the 2026 State Budget as the industry continues to record strong performance with RM10.22 billion in tourism receipts between January and October this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the State Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, stated that RM129 million of the allocation will be used for development expenditure, while RM194 million is earmarked for operating expenditure. He highlighted the importance of the budget for the ongoing development of infrastructure, tourism marketing, and event organization, all crucial for the advancement of tourism, creative industry, and performing arts in 2026.

The minister pointed out that Sarawak's tourism sector has demonstrated resilience, with 4.01 million visitor arrivals recorded in the first ten months of the year, despite facing global geopolitical challenges. This increase in visitor arrivals has had significant positive impacts on local communities, hospitality services, and related sectors.

Abdul Karim noted that ASEAN remains the strongest market for Sarawak, with Brunei Darussalam leading with more than 1.3 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia with 583,568 visitors. China, Singapore, and the Philippines were also significant contributors, with 58,822, 52,406, and 39,284 visitors, respectively. Additionally, domestic tourism remains vital, with 1,769,561 visitors from other parts of Malaysia, making up 44.1 percent of the total visitors.

Looking to the future, Abdul Karim expressed optimism about further growth in visitor arrivals, driven by continuous marketing efforts, diversification of tourism products, improved air connectivity, and stronger digital promotions. He mentioned that the Asia Pacific region is expected to be a significant source of future tourists, with China, Korea, and Japan as key drivers of outbound demand.