Tourism Industry in Sabah Records RM13.1 Billion, Contributing 11.7 Percent to Sabah's Economy

18 December 2024

KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment, in collaboration with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), has published the Sabah Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA) 2023.

According to data released by DOSM, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew, stated, “The Gross Value Added of the Tourism Industry (GVA) for Sabah has recorded RM13.1 billion, with the tourism sector contributing 11.7 percent to Sabah’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 0.72 percent to Malaysia’s GDP.”

“Meanwhile, the Gross Domestic Product of Direct Tourism (GDPDT) in Sabah recorded a growth of 47.4 percent or RM4.2 billion, contributing 3.8 percent to Sabah’s GDP in 2023. This encouraging performance of Sabah’s tourism industry is supported by retail trade (contribution: 43.9%) and accommodation and food & beverage services (contribution: 30.2%).”

“In terms of growth, retail trade recorded a growth of 2.2 percent, while accommodation, food & beverage services grew by 2.7 percent. Additionally, travel agencies, other bookings, cultural services, sports and recreational services, and tourism-specific services (contribution: 16.2%); as well as passenger transport services and retail fuel sales (contribution: 9.7%) also recorded respective growths of 4.4 percent and 6.1 percent in 2023.”

In the findings of the Sabah RTSA 2023, the Minister also mentioned, “The tourism industry in Sabah has provided employment for 362.7 thousand people, with a growth of 7.1 percent compared to 2022.

The retail trade sector (contribution: 43.9%) and accommodation and food & beverage services (contribution: 42.1%) are the main contributors to employment in Sabah’s tourism industry, with a total contribution of 86.0 percent in 2023.

Overall, employment in the tourism industry in Sabah has contributed 22.4 percent, nearly a quarter of the total employment in Sabah.

The Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA) Sabah is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMKe-12) of the State Government, in collaboration with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

This collaboration has been established since 2022 to publish reliable and integrity-driven data by DOSM, where the first RTSA Sabah 2022 was launched in 2023.

The publication of RTSA Sabah 2023 this year marks the second publication for the State Government of Sabah. The Minister added, “These data are inclusive and comprehensive, providing industry players from various downstream sectors, including SME operators, service providers such as accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and retail goods, with clear indicators for their business planning.”

At the same time, this information is crucial for the Ministry, particularly in assessing the performance of tourism in Sabah and serves as a reference for policy formulation aimed at revitalizing tourism activities in Sabah in line with the global recovery of tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.