By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 11: Sarawak is ramping up its engagement in the Indonesian market to support Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia Year 2026 target of 43 million visitor arrivals, following its participation in the ASTINDO Travel Fair 2026 and subsequent business engagements in Jakarta.
According to a press release, the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) took part in the ASTINDO Travel Fair 2026 from Feb 5 to 8 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition in BSD City, Tangerang. The participation was followed by targeted business-to-business sessions with Jakarta-based travel agents from Feb 9 to 10.
These engagements were held under an official invitation from Tourism Malaysia’s International Promotion Division for Southeast Asia, as part of a coordinated national market outreach in Indonesia.
STB chief executive officer Dr Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor highlighted that Indonesia remains a key short-haul market for Sarawak, with ASTINDO providing a strategic platform to engage both consumers and the trade.
“Indonesia remains a priority short-haul market for Sarawak, and ASTINDO Travel Fair provides a valuable platform for us to engage consumers while strengthening trade confidence through targeted follow-up engagements.
“By linking consumer interest with trade-ready products and long-term partnerships, we are positioning Sarawak to deliver sustained visitation in support of Visit Malaysia Year 2026,” she said.
During the four-day consumer travel fair, STB operated under Tourism Malaysia’s pavilion to showcase Sarawak’s tourism offerings through its Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food, and Festivals pillars, positioning the State as an experience-rich destination for Indonesian travelers seeking convenient short-haul options.
The momentum from the consumer fair was reinforced through post-fair engagements with selected Jakarta-based travel agents, particularly those who had previously participated in Sarawak familiarisation programmes.
These sessions focused on strengthening destination knowledge, rebuilding trade confidence, and encouraging longer-term collaboration.
STB noted that the post-fair engagements adopted a performance-driven approach, emphasising the conversion of consumer interest into tangible outcomes such as sellable itineraries, joint marketing initiatives, and structured follow-ups. This aligns with the Board’s EDGE Strategy and Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Sarawak’s continued engagement in Indonesia underscores its broader efforts to maintain international market visibility while contributing to national tourism targets under Visit Malaysia Year 2026. — DayakDaily
