KUCHING: Sarawak will adjust its tourism strategy if visitor arrivals decline in the coming months due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said the situation could potentially affect the number of tourists travelling to Malaysia from Europe and the Middle East.
“We must be able to adapt to what is happening. The Middle East is now in turmoil and we are not sure how long the situation will last.
“Even today, we hear that airlines are increasing their fares due to rising oil prices. So it will definitely have some effect on us,” he told reporters after the soft launch of the Borneo Global Meditourism Congress and Expo here on Thursday (March 12).
He was responding to the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry’s plans to review its promotional strategy for the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign in light of the Middle East conflict.
Its minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said on Wednesday (March 11) that a meeting would be held with tourism stakeholders to assess the situation and discuss possible adjustments to promotional strategies.
Abdul Karim said Sarawak should still be able to maintain its target of five million tourist arrivals this year, noting that the state does not rely solely on visitors from Europe or the Middle East.
Instead, he said Sarawak also focuses on regional and domestic tourism markets.
“I’m not too worried because, through the years, we have seen the number of visitors coming to Sarawak increasing.
“Looking at the January arrivals, that was the best January on record. I hope that for February, March and the months ahead, we will be able to maintain the numbers,” he said.
Sarawak recorded 437,677 visitors in January, an increase of 9.27% compared with the same month last year.
However, Abdul Karim said the ministry would continue to monitor the figures closely.
“If there is a sharp decline in March and April, it might affect our target of five million visitors this year,” he said.
