PUTRAJAYA, Dec 21 — Sabah’s gross value-added of tourism industries (GVATI) for 2022 stood at RM13 billion, contributing 10.7 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the state, according to the Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA) of Sabah published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said Sabah’s GVATI contributed 5.2 per cent to the Malaysian GVATI and 0.7 per cent to the country’s GDP, while the Tourism Direct Gross Domestic Product (TDGDP) recorded RM3.2 billion, with a contribution of 2.6 per cent to Sabah’s GDP.

"The reopening of the country’s borders also had a positive impact and boosted the recovery of Sabah’s tourism sector.

"In 2022, the number of tourist arrivals in Sabah reached 1.73 million people, up by 365.5 per cent compared to just 0.4 million people recorded in 2021,” he said in a statement today.

According to him, the performance of Sabah’s tourism industry was also boosted by the state government’s efforts, including continuing with the direct flight services to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) from countries like Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, in addition to domestic flights from Terengganu.

Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said visitors from Peninsular Malaysia were the main contributors to inbound tourism spending in Sabah, which is 63.7 per cent (RM1.7 billion) out of the total of RM2.7 billion in 2022.

"Overseas tourists and visitors from Sarawak, meanwhile, contributed 23 per cent (RM0.6 billion) and 12.3 per cent (RM0.4 billion) respectively during the same period,” he said.

Sabah’s tourism industry performance was also driven by tourism spending of Sabah folks, which stood at RM3.5 billion

He said the industry also recorded the involvement of 427,000 workers in 2022, contributing 22.8 per cent to the total employment in Sabah.

Mohd Uzir said tourist arrivals in the state are expected to increase this year based on efforts being implemented by the government to spur the tourism industry, including the Community-Based Tourism Roadshow.

As of October, the total number of tourism arrivals in Sabah stood at 2.11 million, up by 56.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2022 (1.36 million). — Bernama