KUCHING: Sarawak has reached its target of four million visitors for this year - a month ahead of schedule, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said Sarawak recorded 4.08 million visitors as of Nov 15.
"The various international and national-level tourism events, conventions, conferences and meetings resulted in this sharp growth," he told the Sarawak Legislative Assembly in his winding-up speech on Tuesday (Nov 19).
With Sarawak's tourism sector anticipating full recovery by 2025, Abdul Karim said his ministry aimed to achieve five million visitors next year, generating RM12.73bil in tourism receipts.
He also said the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) was targeting India and the Middle East as new markets due to their growing population of travellers with higher spending power and diverse interests.
For instance, he said Sarawak would benefit from India's booming outbound tourism market driven by young, digitally-savvy travellers interested in niche tourism sectors.
"Consequently, STB engaged with 64 prominent film producers from the South Indian Film Producers Association to entice them to choose Sarawak as their next filming location," he said.
As a result of STB's promotion initiatives, Abdul Karim said visitors from the new markets segment grew by 75.3% this year.
He said other regional markets also recorded growth, with Europe increasing by 12%, north Asia 58.6%, Asean 44.6% and the domestic market 3.9%.
On a matter raised by Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Abdul Karim said his ministry would work with Sarawak Forestry Corporation on gazetting the Three Sisters Waterfall in Baram as a nature reserve.
He said the local communities in the area should be engaged on the proposal, paving the way for the waterfall to be developed into an ecotourism attraction in Miri division.
As such, he suggested setting up a community-based development committee to be coordinated by the divisional tourism task group of the Miri Resident's Office.
Last week, Dennis said the Three Sisters Waterfall should be gazetted as a new nature park or reserve because of its unique beauty, with three distinct falls flowing into a pool.
He also urged the authorities to develop basic facilities for visitors such as an access road, resthouse, toilets and paths.
