Sarawak oversees RM486 mln tourism projects

SARAWAK is overseeing 33 tourism projects worth RM486.39 million across the state, with project selection guided by economic returns, tourism growth potential and benefits to local communities.

Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting said the projects comprise 21 state-funded initiatives worth RM408.38 million, one Projek Rakyat worth RM52 million and 11 federally-funded projects amounting to RM26.01 million.

Responding to a supplementary question from Miro Simuh (GPS-Serembu) during question and answer session on Thursday (Oct 15), he said the projects were being implemented by various agencies, including the Public Works Department (JKR), Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and local councils.

Earlier, Ting said the ministry assessed proposed tourism projects based on their alignment with the state’s development agenda, socio-economic impact, value for money, tourism growth potential, sustainability and implementation readiness.

He said the ministry also evaluated each proposal against the key tourism targets under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), including increasing tourism’s contribution to 11 per cent of the state’s gross domestic product and creating 25 per cent of tourism-related employment.

Other targets include achieving annual visitor arrival growth of 7.5 per cent, increasing craft sales from RM23 million to RM40 million, strengthening arts, culture and heritage tourism, and expanding community-based tourism participation by 30 per cent.

Ting said the government assessed the viability and readiness of proposed projects through the Value at Entry (VAE) exercise, which evaluates project proposals against key supporting documents, including project background information outlining the scope, timeline, cost, location and justification.

The assessment also examines whether projects align with strategic planning documents such as PCDS 2030 and the Sarawak Tourism Master Plan 2035.

He said the comprehensive evaluation process was intended to ensure tourism infrastructure investments generated sustainable economic returns, enhanced Sarawak’s competitiveness as a destination and improved the well-being of local communities.

Sarawak recorded encouraging tourism growth in 2025, with visitor arrivals rising 2.9 per cent to 4.97 million from 4.83 million in 2024.

Tourism receipts also increased to RM12.67 billion last year, up from RM12.45 billion in 2024.

Ting said the positive performance reflected the collective impact of sustained investments in tourism infrastructure, destination development, improved connectivity, promotional activities and collaboration with industry stakeholders.

However, he cautioned that the growth could not be attributed to any single tourism infrastructure project, but rather to the combined efforts undertaken to strengthen the state’s tourism sector.