The many species of birds and animals populating the rainforests of Sarawak include the hornbill and the orang utang

The world’s oldest rainforests reveal their hidden heritage
Tourism

Sarawak currently receives around three million visitors per year, many of whom are returning visitors. The state’s main niche as a tourism destination is in eco and cultural tourism. Its attractions lie in the natural world – in its national parks and ancient rainforests, its unique fauna and flora, pristine beaches, coral reefs and remote islands – and in the fascinating cultural traditions of the 27 peoples who make up its multi-ethnic population.

Sarawak boasts the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, and Malaysia's longest river, the Batang Rajang. The world’s largest underground cave chamber is to be found in Deer Cave, in Gunung Mulu National Park; its floor area is roughly the size of three football pitches and its roof the height of a 23-storey building.

To develop the tourism industry, further investment is needed in infrastructure, transportation, amenities, and the improvement of the natural scenery to accommodate more adventure trails and activities such as hiking, rafting, caving and trekking.

This will take time, says Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. “We are strict about maintaining the integrity of our scenery, preventing pollution and anything that may compromise the natural environment.

“To accommodate the larger bulk of tourists, we have to develop theme parks in our towns to further investment. We do not want to make our tourist spots in the natural areas so accessible that people can just flock there and possibly damage the quality of the environment. ”

The state authorities have imposed stringent measures and restrictions to limit the number of new eco-tourism resort projects to protect its jungles. Only projects with minimal impact to the ecosystem will be considered.