By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 12: Miss Sarawak Tourism 2026 is set to strengthen the international promotion of Sarawak’s tourism, culture and heritage, with 20 local finalists and five international delegates taking part in the week-long programme.
The five overseas participants, who will not compete in the pageant, will serve as Goodwill Ambassadors and experience Sarawak’s tourism offerings first-hand.
Miss Sarawak Tourism 2026 director Joeyce Hii said the programme would be held at the Kuching Riverside Majestic, with pageant week scheduled from Sept 6 to 12, culminating in the gala night on Sept 12.
“We have 20 delegates from Sarawak, as well as five non-competing international delegates who will come to Sarawak to experience what the state has to offer,” she said.
Speaking to TVS after the Miss Sarawak Tourism 2026 press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, Hii said the Goodwill Ambassadors, from countries including Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Bangladesh, India and several ASEAN nations, would play an important role in introducing Sarawak to international audiences.
“They will act as promotional agents for Sarawak in their respective countries by building tourism networks, introducing the state’s tourism products and promoting Sarawak’s culture and heritage,” she said.
Hii said the delegates’ experiences in Sarawak would also allow them to share the state’s unique destinations, cultural attractions and heritage with audiences in their home countries.
She said a range of activities had been planned throughout the pageant week to give participants and international delegates a closer look at Sarawak’s diverse tourism offerings.
Among the activities are scuba diving and snorkelling, as well as corporate social responsibility programmes involving environmental conservation and engagement with orphaned children.
Hii, who is also managing director of Borneo Sdn Bhd, said the pageant was not merely a search for a tourism icon but was designed as a platform for leadership development, communication, tourism advocacy and cultural diplomacy.
She said its tagline, “The Face of Sarawak Tourism,” reflected the ambition to nurture individuals who could become ambassadors for the state while developing a deeper understanding of its history, culture, communities, heritage and values.
The programme will also place emphasis on cultural tourism, human capital development, community participation, heritage empowerment and the use of digital platforms to expand Sarawak’s tourism presence globally.
“We want to produce tourism ambassadors who possess knowledge, confidence, professionalism and marketability, not only in tourism but also in communications, media, hospitality and the creative industries,” she said. — DayakDaily
