However, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the minister for tourism, creative industry, and performing arts, did not identify the performer.

He said large-scale concerts would attract visitors from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Brunei.

“If there is an event in Kuching which involves artistes or entertainers who are well-known to those from neighbouring countries, we’ll be able to see an increase in vehicles entering Sarawak via the border,” he was quoted as saying.

Karim said when Indonesian songstress Hetty Koes Endang performed in the state, it led to a three-day congestion at the border checkpoint complex in Tebedu, with visitors travelling from Kalimantan.

He said three concerts are expected to be held in Miri next month involving Indonesian artistes and the events are expected to bring in visitors from neighbouring countries.

Last year, Singapore’s tourism officials said six sold-out concerts each by Coldplay and Taylor Swift had “generated substantial economic benefits … with spillover effects to adjacent tourism industries such as retail, dining and hotels”.