KUCHING, 1 June 2025 – The vibrant spirit of the Gawai Dayak Festival filled Sarawak’s airports today as Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), hosted festive celebrations at Kuching International Airport and Bintulu Airport. These events, held in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, aimed to share the unique cultural joy of Gawai with domestic and international travellers.

Passengers arriving at the Arrival Halls were warmly greeted and offered festive goodies, including the iconic Sarawak kek lapis (layered cake) and promotional materials for VM2026. YB Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, joined the celebration at the Bintulu Airport, where guests and passengers were also treated to captivating cultural performances by a local dance troupe, showcasing Sarawak’s rich heritage.

Also present were Ms Rubiah Tul Adawiyah Mohd Yusof, Director of Tourism Malaysia Sarawak, and Muhammad Salehudin Suman, Airport Manager of Bintulu Airport, along with representatives from partner agencies.

Celebrated annually on the 1st and 2nd of June, The Gawai Dayak Festival is part of Tourism Malaysia’s efforts to promote the essence of Sarawak’s rich cultural tapestry, inviting everyone to join in the festivities and experience the warmth of Malaysian hospitality.

In 2024, Malaysia welcomed 38 million international visitors - a 31.1% increase from 2023 and 8.3% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Visitor receipts also surged, generating RM106.78 billion, reflecting a substantial 43.7% growth over 2023 and exceeding 2019 figures by 20%.

This positive trend has continued into early 2025, with the first four months recording 13.4 million visitor arrivals, a 21.0% year-on-year increase. From January to April 2025, Singapore remained the top visitor-generating market, followed by Indonesia, China, Thailand, India, Brunei, South Korea, Philippines, Australia and the United Kingdom.

END

About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene.

The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realisation of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Jantan Anak Robert Bidi
Deputy Director
Tourism Malaysia Sarawak
kevin@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +608 2246775

Norshariza Mohd Saad
Deputy Director
Corporate Communications Division
norshariza@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8775