KUCHING, Dec 25: Sarawak should emulate Indonesia’s Bali in treating foreign tourists like gold, says Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman Dato Peter Minos.
He opined Bali is a popular tourism destination not because of its facilities and tourist attractions but due to its people who are known to be very warm and friendly to visitors.
He shared that during his recent trip to the island, a tourist driver told him that the local folks treat tourists like gold because without them, “there is nothing much in Bali”.
“During the two-year pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Bali was almost deserted and was described as ‘hampir-hampir mati’ (almost dead).
“Now that the tourists have come again in 2022 with the recent G20 Bali Summit conference, Bali is very much alive again where the hotels are full and the streets in Kuta, Ubud and other towns are crowded with visitors from all over the world,” he said in a statement today.
Minos further said that after Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the locals in Bali offered great tourism products to the whole world through their natural warmth and friendship backed by the local Hindu culture and local tourist attractions.
He also noted that the tourism sector contributed over 80 per cent of Bali’s progress and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
“Bali can tell us (Sarawak) a thing or two. Treat all foreign tourists like gold and they will come by the millions to our shores because we too have the tourist attractions.
“We should use our cultures to entice and attract foreign tourists because they want something unique and different and not found at home.
“Tourists want to be treated and pampered with genuine warmth, friendship and respect; not so much of the physical things,” he added. — DayakDaily
