WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE TOURISM

Sarawak is the only state so far having excellent networking arrangement amongst all tourism stake holders. A good example is that the Tourism Ministry, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Federation of Sarawak Tourism (STF) will be working together to promote interesting local products through attractive documentations and promotions.

Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Talib Zulpilip said the state had the potential to contribute to the expected 36 million tourists arrival to the country by year 2020. "We have a lot of natural attractions that are potentially tourist destinations. Sarawak also has its own unique natural settings that are suitable for activities like kayaking, mountain climbing, and jungle trekking, which are still unknown to foreigners,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

He was responding to Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen’s statement on the 36 million foreign tourists expected to arrive here in 2020 with estimated RM168 billion revenue. However, he said air transportation issues that the state is currently facing should be adressed immediately as they would affect the state government’s efforts to reach that figure.

STF’s president Audry Wan Ullok said they would cooperate with STB and Tourism Ministry to identify new tourism products that had the potential to attract international toursits. She explained that tourists from peninsular Malaysia were the main contributors to the state’s tourists arrival and as such, there was an urgent need to resolve the air accessibility issues. “To increase foreign tourists arrival to the state, Kuching International Airport (KIA) should be the hub for international flights in the region especially to enable direct flights from Singapore,” she said.

STB’s chief executive officer Dato Rashid Khan stressed they were on the right path based on an overwhelming tourists arrival of 16.5 per cent. “Our role is to promote and market Sarawak tourism products, not only focus on luxury tourism but also eco-tourism because it have been identified to improve the income of local community,” he said.

According to him, from January to August this year, there was an increase of 26.09 per cent tourists arrival, which was about 1.84 million, compared to 1.49 millon in the same period last year. As for tourists from peninsular Malaysia, he said the state recorded 4.2 per cent which was 918,747 this year compared to 882,285 last year. “Over all, the number of foreign and domestic tourists arrival to the state is 2.41 million from January to August this year, compared to 2.06 million last year,” he said.