Sarawak builds on 64.2% growth in Chinese visitor arrivals
CHINA, 6 November 2026: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), in collaboration with Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), recently held the Sarawak Business Networking Sessions 2026 in Beijing and Tianjin on October 27 and 29, 2026, marking the first tourism trade activity between STB and RB in China following the signing of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at ITB China in May 2026.
The initiative comes amid encouraging growth in Chinese visitor arrivals to Sarawak, which increased by 64.2% from January to September 2026. By bringing together Sarawak tourism partners and China-based travel trade representatives, the networking sessions aim to showcase the destination’s tourism offerings, strengthen industry connections and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
“China continues to be an important market for Sarawak and the 64.2% growth in visitor arrivals demonstrates the opportunities for us to deepen our engagement. With 82,334 visitors from Chhina during the first nine months of 2026, we see encouraging interest in Sarawak and the importance of sustaining this momentum through closer industry collaboration, said Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Tourism Board, Dr. Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor in a press statement.
“Working with Royal Brunei Airlines allows us to bring destination promotion and air connectivity together. Through these engagements, we hope to strengthen Sarawak’s visibility in China while creating more opportunities for our tourism partners to connect with the market,” she added.
From January to September 2026, Sarawak welcomed 82,334 visitors from China, compared with 50,131 during the corresponding period in 2025, representing an increase of 32,203 visitors. The broader North Asia market also recorded positive growth, with 108,816 visitor arrivals during the same period, an increase of 40.3% year-on-year.
The programme featured destination and airline presentations by STB and RB, followed by business-to-business networking between participating Sarawak tourism businesses and China-based travel trade partners.
During the sessions, STB highlighted Sarawak’s diverse tourism experiences across Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF), reinforcing the destination’s positioning as the Gateway to Borneo. Meanwhile, RB represented its connectivity network through Bandar Seri Begawan, highlighting travel access opportunities between China and Sarawak.
Three Sarawak tourism partners participated in the sessions, providing opportunities to showcase Sarawak’s tourism products and services, establish industry connections and explore potential business collaborations.
The Beijing and Tianjin sessions complement STB’s broader destination promotion efforts in China, including its participation at ITB China in Shanghai. Through continued collaboration with airline and tourism industry partners, STB remains committed to strengthening Sarawak’s visibility and appeal among Chinese travellers.
