SARAWAK is targeting five million visitor arrivals and RM10.68 billion in tourism receipt next year.
Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state received 3,785,175 (3.79 million) visitors from January to October this year, an increase of 1.02 per cent from 3,746,933 (3.75 million) in the same period last year.
“It has generated an estimated tourism receipt of RM7.5 billion,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.
Abang Johari stated that based on past trend of average arrivals for the month of November to December, his Ministry was anticipating 4.7 million visitor arrivals into Sarawak in 2016, an increase of 4.4 per cent from 4.5 million in 2015.
He said the Sarawak tourism sector was expected to generate tourism receipt of RM10.18 billion or a 3.1 per cent increase, contributing about 10 per cent to the state gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016.
Abang Johari said on the national front, Malaysia was experiencing its first recovery in tourist arrivals from January to September this year.
“Malaysia received 17,611,563 (17.6 million) tourists from January to September 2016, an increase of 3.8 per cent from 16,965,885 (16.97 million) in the same period of 2015.
“Tourism receipt increased by 10.7 per cent in the first half of this year, contributing RM37.4 billion to the country’s revenue against RM33.8 billion in 2015.
For this year, Malaysia was expecting to receive 30.5 million tourists, bringing in RM103 billion in tourism receipts.
“Tourism Malaysia is targeting 31.8 million tourist arrivals and RM118 billion in tourism receipts in 2017.”
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