Two of Malaysia’s most popular tourism states – Sarawak and Sabah – have enjoyed a successful recovery and revival in 2023. This is evidenced by a growth in tourist arrivals which, in both locations, has outstripped expectations. Officials in Sabah and Sarawak recently outlined the strategies that delivered their success, while also outlining ambitious plans for next year.
Sarawak had already welcomed 3.18 million visitors by October of this year, surpassing its annual target two months ahead of schedule. According to state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, this is an increase of 131% compared to the same period last year.
Neighbouring Sabah is also on track to meet their target of 2.2 million arrivals for the year, having already welcomed more than 1.8 million as of October. A recent decision by the Federal Government to provide nationals from China and India with a 30-day visa-free entry is expected to provide the final push they need to get over the line. The new visa regulations come into effect from 1 December.
From January to September this year, Sabah hosted 45,801 Chinese visitors, compared to just 4,162 arrivals over the same period in 2022. There has also been a major uptick in arrivals from India, with 4,176 arrivals by September 2023 – compared to 2,734 for the same period last year. Sabah is connected to eight major cities in China, with 63 weekly flights and a seating capacity for 11,360 people.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is convinced these arrivals from the world’s two most populous countries will ensure Sabah reaches its target ahead of schedule. “Now that normalcy has returned to the tourism industry, the state government has launched a tourism recovery campaign to attract tourists back to Sabah,” said the minister in a recent statement.
In Sarawak, officials are already revising up their estimates for 2024, based on the success of 2023. “Looking at this encouraging trend,” said Abdul Karim recently, “my ministry would like to revise visitor arrivals in 2024 to four million.” Speaking at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on 28 November, he added that arrivals are expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2025. His ministry has already allocated grants totalling RM38.7mil (US$ 8.3 million) to support 213 events and festivals in the state this coming year.
Another major draw for foreign visitors to Sarawak has been adventures in the great outdoors, with a total of 426,925 tourists entering the 25 national parks and nature reserves as of October. Abdul Karim has been working to maintain and improve in these locations, by developing infrastructure and upgrading connectivity.
“To enhance visitor experience, nine highly visited parks and nature reserves – Bako, Kubah, Gunung Gading, Tanjung Datu, Similajau, Niah and Lambir Hills national parks and the Matang and Semenggoh wildlife centres – have been upgraded with Wi-Fi connectivity,” he said.
From Wi-Fi to flight connectivity and from festivals to visa-free entry, Sabah and Sarawak have demonstrated a number of innovative ways to welcome foreign visitors in 2023. Supported by government investment, these initiatives have delivered positive results and helped both locations to surpass their targets. Now, with recovery secured and more activities scheduled, next year promises to be even better.
