by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 23: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) demonstrated its commitment to sustainable tourism growth and cultural preservation at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
During the summit, held from April 21 to 23, at a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Building Tomorrow’s Tourism Workforce’, STB chief executive officer Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor highlighted Sarawak’s dedication to sustainable tourism and investment in future-proofing the tourism sector.
“In Sarawak, we don’t build our workforce for fair weather — we build them to sail through storms,” said Sharzede.
“From frontliners to indigenous communities, we are empowering people across the tourism value chain with digital tools and future-ready skills. As the industry evolves, so must we — and Sarawak is proud to be a progressive player in this journey.”
She also highlighted Sarawak’s early adoption of digital strategies in tourism marketing, campaign management, and grassroots training—efforts that have positioned the State as both agile and inclusive in the global travel ecosystem.
Sharzede, representing the State government’s perspective, alongside Olivier Berrivin, vice president–APAC at BWH Hotels, and Chris Bottrill, associate vice president (International) at Capilano University, further explored latest strategies to equip tourism talent with the tools to adapt, evolve, and thrive in a changing global landscape.
With 4.83 million visitor arrivals recorded in 2024 — a 23 per cent increase from the previous year — Sarawak is poised to achieve its bold target of five million visitors by the end of 2025.
This remarkable growth trajectory, Sharzede explained, stems from Sarawak’s unwavering commitment to authentic cultural experiences, eco-tourism initiatives, and innovative approaches — all aligned with the State’s Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
Through its strategic engagement at PATA, Sarawak continues to bridge local strengths with global aspirations.
As STB strengthens its global partnerships and nurtures a skilled, resilient workforce, Sarawak is setting the benchmark for what sustainable, forward-looking tourism can and should be across the Asia-Pacific region. – DayakDaily
