KOTA KINABALU: Sabah recorded RM13.1 billion in tourism receipts last year, said state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
She was quoting data for Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries from the Sabah Regional Tourism Satellite Account for 2023 published by the Statistics Department and her ministry.
She said the tourism sector contributed 11.7 per cent to Sabah's gross domestic product (GDP) and 0.72 per cent to Malaysia's GDP.
"Sabah's direct tourism gross domestic product saw a growth of 47.4 per cent, or RM4.2 billion, contributing 3.8 per cent to Sabah's GDP in 2023."
Sabah's strong tourism industry performance was driven by retail trade at 43.9 per cent and accommodation, food and beverage services at 30.2 per cent.
Travel agencies and other reservation services, cultural, sports and recreational services and specialised tourism services contributed 16.2 per cent to the tourism industry, while the passenger transport services and retail sales of motor fuel contributed 9.7 per cent.
"The tourism industry in Sabah has provided employment to 362,700 people, marking a growth of 7.1 per cent compared with 2022.
"Employment in Sabah's tourism industry contributed 22.4 per cent, or nearly a quarter, of the total employment in Sabah."