By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 3: Sarawak is stepping up efforts to strengthen regional tourism cooperation and expand its international market reach through participation in the 19th General Assembly of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF) at Mactan Expo in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.
The Sarawak delegation is led by Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the three-day biennial assembly hosted by the Government of Cebu Province.
The assembly brings together tourism leaders, government representatives and industry stakeholders from EATOF member regions across East and Southeast Asia to exchange policies, strengthen cultural ties and explore practical areas of cooperation in tourism.
Abdul Karim said regional partnerships were increasingly important in creating new tourism opportunities, improving connectivity and ensuring that the benefits of tourism reached local communities.
“Regional cooperation is a key driver of tourism growth. Through EATOF, we have an important platform to share experiences, develop joint initiatives and create stronger linkages between our destinations.
“Our focus is not only on attracting more visitors, but also on building sustainable tourism opportunities that benefit our communities and strengthen the region as a whole,” he said in a media release today.
The assembly was officially opened by EATOF secretary-general Lee Dong Hee, together with heads of delegation from participating member regions.
In her opening remarks, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro highlighted the importance of collaboration among EATOF members in sharing tourism strategies and pursuing sustainable growth across the region.
As part of the programme, the Sarawak delegation held bilateral meetings with representatives from Gangwon Province, Republic of Korea; Cebu Province, Philippines; Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam; and Tuv Province, Mongolia.
The discussions explored potential cooperation in tourism marketing, ecotourism, air connectivity, digital marketing, Community-Based Tourism, educational tourism, health tourism, cultural exchanges and cruise tourism.
The engagements also provided an avenue to identify opportunities for joint promotion, strengthen destination linkages and broaden tourism market access between Sarawak and its regional partners.
Abdul Karim said Sarawak would continue leveraging its international partnerships to diversify tourism markets and position the State as a gateway to the distinctive experiences of Borneo.
“Our strength lies in Sarawak’s distinctive combination of culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals.
“By working closely with our EATOF partners, we can connect these strengths with new markets, new tourism products and new opportunities for collaboration,” he said.
Sarawak’s participation in the 19th EATOF General Assembly underscores the State government’s commitment to advancing sustainable, inclusive and internationally connected tourism, while strengthening Sarawak’s position as a leading tourism destination in Southeast Asia. — DayakDaily
