Sabah has received a 17.6 per cent increase in tourist arrivals or 3.38 million visitors last year compared to the previous year, the highest growth ever recorded.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun said 2.29 million of them were domestic tourists, an increase of 68 percent, and over one million foreign tourists, an increase of 15.7 per cent.

Tourist arrivals from Hong Kong and China jumped by 86.7 percent, South Korea (32.1 per cent), Japan (25 percent) and Taiwan (15.5 percent)," he told reporters after launching a book entitled 'ITIN: A Borneon Elephant' in Kota Kinabalu today.

Masidi said chartered flights increased to 262 in 2013 compared to 164 in 2012 - among the highest number recorded in the country.

"The state garnered a revenue of RM6.35 million from tourist arrivals last year, and the figure is expected to increase this year with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 on the cards," he said.

However, lack of five-star hotels around Kota Kinabalu reduced tourist arrivals from Europe by 4.7 per cent, he said, adding that at least 2,000 more hotel rooms were needed in the capital to accommodate influx of tourists.

- Bernama