KUCHING, Oct 15: Sarawak should be able to form a ‘green travel bubble’ with neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia as the country is starting to open up its international borders, said Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
As the ministry is currently working with the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS) to increase the frequency of flights into Sarawak, he believes that the number of flights will further be increased soon in terms of accessibility and connectivity.
“Oct 1 this year, SDMC has decided to gradually increase the incoming flight frequency to Sarawak from 22 flights to 87 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Bahru, Labuan and Singapore going to various destinations namely, Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang.
“Therefore, I would like to sincerely extend our invitation to all Malaysians and non-Malaysians in West Malaysia, Labuan and Sabah to grab this opportunity to uncover more of Sarawak’s best kept-secrets, and immerse yourself in Sarawak’s melting pot of wonders that is rich in culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals,” Abdul Karim said during the launch of the ‘Jom Ke Sarawak’ event today.
Akin to a perfect end to after what could be described as a challenging year, he called on visitors to make the trip to Sarawak to see the many unique sights that the State has to offer.
Earlier this month, the ministry had launched the ‘Sia Sitok Sarawak Accommodation’ intrastate staycation campaign offering a 50 percent discount on accommodation rates for hotels and resorts registered under Malaysia Association Hotels (MAH) Sarawak Chapter’s platform.
“The response from this campaign is encouraging so far with 721 rooms booked within the first week of the campaign. This indicates the people’s rising confidence levels and how the people are ready to get back to travelling.
“It is such a delight to finally be able to open the tourism gates again to domestic and regional travellers soon. This will bring healing to our economy, restore and create employment opportunities and bring the tourism sector back to life,” Abdul Karim said.
Given the positive response and with the recent announcement of the reopening of the tourism sector by SDMC, he is confident that the Jom Ke Sarawak campaign with the ‘buy now, travel later’ concept with attractive packages is definitely ideal for visitor’s next travel plan to Sarawak.
Meanwhile, the ‘Jom Ke Sarawak’ offers 16 tour packages starting as low as RM176 for a three-day, two-night stay.
Calling it very affordable for anyone to discover Sarawak at its fullest potential, Abdul Karim said with the advancement of technology, visitors can just book their trip conveniently with just a few swipes through Shopee Malaysia.
With the interstate travel ban lifted, he added that safety of both locals and travellers into Sarawak will continue to be the ministry’s main priority.
Stringent Covid-19 SOPs such as social distancing and hygiene protocols will continue to be enforced and observed in every destination within the state.
All tourists must be fully vaccinated and produce a negative rt-PCR or rtk-Antigen test result within three days before arrival in Sarawak.
Children below the age of 18 entering Sarawak with their fully vaccinated parents will be exempted from quarantine. — DayakDaily
