SIMANGGANG, Sept 11 — Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today that the state’s tourism industry has returned to the pre-pandemic days following the opening of the state’s borders in April this year.

He said since then, many events and festivals have been held that were suspended temporarily during the two-year pandemic.

"We have seen that since our doors have been opened on April 1, 2022, many tourists have arrived in Sarawak and I was given to understand by the hotel operators, either in Kuching, Sibu or MIri, that their rooms have been fully booked,” he said at the closing of the Tidal Bore Festival here.

He said recreational centres, homestays, restaurants and national parks have also been flooded by domestic and foreign tourists.

"Last night, I was present at the Borneo Music Festival at the Cultural Village in Santubong, Kuching Division, that more than 10,000 attended,” he said, adding many revellers came from Singapore, Brunei, Kalimantan, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.

"This shows that the state’s tourism industry has returned to normal,” Karim said.

Karim also said his ministry is making an effort to complete the rehabilitation of the historic Government Rest House into a museum before its opening next year.

He said it was at this rest house that a peace agreement was signed between the then chief minister Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakob and communist leader Bong Kee Chok in 1973 that led to the surrender of the communists in Sarawak.

"The museum will showcase, among others, the bitter events during the dark days leading to the signing of the peace agreement,” he said.