By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Oct 22: Sarawak does not want to just hold big business meetings, but provide fuller Sarawak experiences to foreign participants with exciting post-conference tourism packages.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said with business events and tourism closely intertwined, such packages could fill up the schedules of foreign business participants with leisure activities in the State.
“For Sarawak, we don’t aim for big meetings. We will go for the medium ones that attract about 300 to 400 participants.
“That (number) is just nice, and after that we will prepare packages including post-business or post-conference packages whereby participants can enjoy whatever (tourism) products that we have.
“(They can either) go to Bako National Park or Semenggoh after their business events. Besides the national parks, in Kuching for instance, they can go for a river cruise,” he said in an engagement session during the launching ceremony of Kuching as part of the Hybrid City Alliance in a local hotel here today.
Abang Johari said conference participants, though on business, will also need some form of entertainment during their free time.
Of course, he added, other pulling factors to attract visitors to Sarawak include safety, hospitality, and facilities.
“The first thing that people are looking for is safety. They must feel secure. Second is friendly people. One must feel comfortable in that particular area.
“And the third, definitely, the facilities must be world-class. These are the three factors that must be equipped in Sarawak to get all these international people to come in.”
For Sarawak, specifically, hospitality is no issue as Sarawakians are well-known to be friendly and peaceful, added Abang Johari.
Also present at the event were Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Sri Nancy Shukri, and Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. — Dayakdaily
