Sarawak recorded a strong rebound in visitor arrivals in August 2026, with 439,968 visitors entering the state, up 6.53% from 413,018 recorded during the same month last year.
Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the increase was partly driven by various programmes and activities held throughout August.
Foreign visitor arrivals also increased significantly, reaching 275,800 in August 2026, compared with 244,903 in August 2025.
The stronger visitor numbers contributed to higher tourism receipts, which rose to approximately RM1.14 billion, compared with RM1.06 billion recorded in August last year.
Despite the August improvement, Sarawak’s overall visitor arrivals for the first eight months of 2026 remained slightly below last year’s figure.
From January to August, the state recorded 3,160,448 visitors, compared with 3,205,519 during the corresponding period in 2025, which is a decline of about 1.41%.
Abdul Karim nonetheless remains hopeful that arrivals will increase towards the end of the year as Sarawak enters a busy period of events and tourism programmes.
However, he acknowledged that reaching the state’s five-million visitor target could be challenging, although the final figure is expected to surpass four million.
Air connectivity, potential flight disruptions linked to developments in the Middle East and the haze affecting parts of Sarawak could influence tourism performance.
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