Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s tourism industry recorded significant achievements in 2023, contributing RM13.1 billion to the State’s economy and creating 362,700 jobs, according to the Sabah Regional Tourism Satellite Account (RTSA).
The RTSA, published by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment in collaboration with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), provides comprehensive insights into the sector’s economic impact.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew highlighted the report’s findings, saying the Gross Value Added of Tourism Industries (GVATI) for Sabah recorded RM131 billion, with the tourism sector contributing 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 (DTGDP) registered a growth of 47.4 per cent, or RM4.2 billion, contributing 3.8 per cent to Sabah’s GDP in 2023.
The data revealed that the strong performance was driven primarily by retail trade activities, which accounted for 43.9 per cent of the tourism sector’s contribution, and accommodation, food and beverage services, which made up 30.2 per cent.
Retail trade saw a growth of 2.2 per cent, while the accommodation, food and beverage services sector expanded by 2.7 per cent.
Other key sectors, including travel agencies and reservation services, cultural, sports and recreational services, as well as passenger transport services, also contributed significantly, with growth rates of 4.4 per cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively.
“The tourism industry in Sabah also provided employment for 362,700 people, marking a growth of 7.1 per cent compared to 2022. The Retail Trade sector (share: 43.9pc) and the Accommodation, Food & Beverage Services sector (share: 42.1pc) were the main contributors to employment in Sabah’s tourism industry, collectively accounting for 86.0 per cent of the total in 2023.
“Overall, employment in Sabah’s tourism industry contributed 22.4 per cent, or nearly a quarter, of the total employment in Sabah,” Liew said.
The RTSA initiative, introduced under the Sabah State Government’s 12th Malaysia Plan (RMKe-12), aims to provide accurate and reliable data for stakeholders.
This collaboration between the Ministry and DOSM, which began in 2022, has produced its second publication following the first RTSA Sabah 2022, launched last year.
According to Liew, the finding is important as the data is inclusive and comprehensive, which could assist industry players from various downstream sectors in their businesses.
“The data can benefit various parties including SME operators and service providers such as accommodation, restaurants, transportation and retail, with clear indicators for their business planning.
“At the same time, it is crucial for the Ministry, particularly in assessing the performance of Sabah’s tourism sector, and serves as a reference for formulating policies to boost tourism activities in Sabah, in line with the global recovery of tourism activities post-Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
