MarketingWhy tourism quality trumps volume in the Borneo state with a population of only 2.5 million locals.

Sarawak’s long game in Visit Malaysia Year 2026

By Yixin Ng

Dec 26, 2025

Sharzede: longer stays, deeper immersion in Sarawak.

As Malaysia rallies behind Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY) with an ambitious target of 47 million international arrivals, Sarawak is determined to pursue quality over quantity, staying true to its principles of regenerative and inclusive tourism.

Intentional growth

“We are not just chasing volume,” says Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of the Sarawak Tourism Board.

With a local population of just 2.5 million – and an annual arrivals target of 5 million – the state is more aware than most other destinations of the potential cost of unchecked growth.

“Tourism should bring benefits to communities, not deprive communities. If we blindly chase volume, there will be impact on communities – prices of food and rental will go up, for example. We need to be intentional about tourism growth to balance economic opportunity with social and environmental sustainability.”

Beyond tourism arrivals, Sharzede says that Sarawak is aiming to extend visitors' length of stay from 5.5 to 7.5 days by 2030, a target that sits in line with lower impact “slow travel”, and the destination’s focus on community-based tourism.

Enigmatic appeal

Sarawak cannot compete with the more accessible Malaysian destinations of Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Meleka, or Langkawi, Sharzede admits – and it does not intend to do so.

The state’s appeal lies off the mainstream radar: living cultures, ancient rainforests, vibrant cuisines, festivals, and homestays that immerse visitors – and the benefits they bring – within communities.

As it continues to work with airlines, Sarawak is leaning into its positioning as the gateway to Borneo – curious, immersive, and still a little enigmatic, according to Sharzede.

“When people talk about Borneo, they think 'very exciting, very mystical',” Sharzede notes. “We still like people to whip their heads around and ask: ‘What is Borneo about?’”

VMY2026 opportunities

As destination promotion ramps up across the country for VMY2026, Sarawak intends to use the platform to tell its story on its own terms, and to build the kind of tourism it wants to sustain over decades.

Kuching, Sarawak will host PATA Travel Mart in 2026, aligning Sarawak’s strategy with broader regional conversations around responsible and sustainable tourism.

Sharzede, who sits on the PATA board, sees this as an opportunity not just for promotion, but for capacity-building. “We will collaborate with PATA to reference best practices in community-based tourism (we believe Thailand is doing that well) and educate our stakeholders on how to better develop sustainable and community-centric experiences.”