KUCHING, April 7: Holidaymakers can head to Matta Fair 2022 at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur on April 9 and 10 to grab the best travel deals to Sarawak.
While there, visitors can also participate in Sarawak-themed puzzle games where they stand a chance to win unique gifts such as Penan clutch bags, authentic handwoven rattan pepper baskets or bead garlands.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and 20 of its industry partners will be setting up booths near the main entrance of Hall 4 of WTCKL to showcase Sarawak’s attractive culture, adventure, nature, food and festival (CANFF) offerings, ranging from leisure activities to adrenaline pumping tour packages such as traditional longhouse visiting, diving, kayaking and mountain climbing at the Matta Fair 2022.
As the tourism industry is on its way to recovery with more and more Malaysians starting to travel once again, Sarawak with its abundance of natural beauty, cultural diversity, lush rainforests and vibrant wildlife, is an ideal holiday destination for travellers who want to experience the uniqueness of Malaysia.
STB chief executive officer (CEO) Sharzede Salleh Askor said that Sarawak’s presence at the Matta Fair 2022 is timely with the reopening of Malaysia’s border.
“We are all geared up to welcome tourists to experience Sarawak’s distinctive blend, whether it is experiencing the culture of Sarawak’s many indigenous communities or exploring gigantic caves in the Mulu National Park.
“We are honoured to be selected as the featured destination for Matta Fair 2022 for the third time,” she said in a media release today.
To give visitors a preview of what Sarawak has to offer, Sharzede added that the Sarawak’s booth design is inspired by the architecture of the newly opened Borneo Cultures Museum which is the biggest museum in Malaysia and the second largest in South East Asia.
“The Borneo Cultures Museum is definitely a destination not-to-be missed when visiting Sarawak.
“We are excited to be receiving travellers from around the world into Sarawak once again. It is important for the recovery of the industry and signals a return to some form of normalcy in travel, which is an exciting step forward,” she said.
Noting that safety of travellers is of utmost priority, Sharzede said Sarawak through the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has in place an intelligent risk management within borders, as well as stringent standard operating procedures (SOP).
Among the unique attractions offered in the travel packages include night cycling around Kuching city, discover a 150-years-old Bung Jagoi Bidayuh longhouse, explore Sarawak’s coastal villages in Bruit, Daro and Matu, or take a trip to Mulu National Park which is a Unesco Heritage site to have a grand view of the caves and the infamous Pinnacles.
In conjunction with the month of Ramadan, STB will also be giving away authentic Kek Lapis (Sarawak layer cakes) and Bubur Pedas (a local traditional dish of Sarawakian Malaysia that is normally served during the breaking of fast).
Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience and enjoy a repertoire of Sarawak’s indigenous music with performances by local group At Adau, a traditional contemporary world music band that blends traditional Sape’s tunes with traditional percussion from various tribes in Sarawak such as Bidayuh, Iban and Orang Ulu, and also from variety of dance and music performances by Sarawak Arts Council (SAC).
STB added that the opening of the border will also bode well for travellers from Singapore, in line with the latest flight operation of Singapore-Miri route with Scoot Airlines.
Currently, visitors from Peninsula Malaysia can take direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Kota Bahru to Kuching. There are also direct flight from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang to Sibu as well as Kuala Lumpur and Johor to Miri.— DayakDaily
