Kuching still does not have enough hotel rooms to meet demand, the Sarawak Premier told reporters on October 6, putting the city's overall inventory at roughly 13,000 rooms. He said some visitors had to turn to homestays and linked the pressure to business events and major conferences choosing Kuching. He made the remarks after a hotel opening in the city. The 13,000 figure describes the overall stock of hotel rooms, not how many rooms are vacant for a particular visit. The Premier said more detailed and updated figures could be obtained from the state tourism minister. His remarks did not quantify the shortage or provide date-by-date occupancy figures. For conference organisers and travellers, the distinction is practical: the citywide total cannot establish availability on their event dates. Nor did the remarks specify room rates or how many additional rooms would be needed. More hotels can add to the stock, but the reported pressure concerns whether accommodation matches demand when visitors arrive.