KUCHING, Nov 22: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is set to draw more Indonesian tourists to Sarawak through its ‘Sarawak A Journey Awaits’ Business Networking Sessions (B2B) in East Kalimantan to engage with about 120 local travel agencies and tour operators in Samarinda and Balikpapan from Nov 22 to Nov 23.
According to a press release issued today by STB, the B2B roadshow, held in collaboration with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and Tourism Malaysia (TM) Jakarta, aimed to promote Sarawak as a tourism destination beyond leisure and to foster business collaborations among Sarawak tourism and East Kalimantan tourism stakeholders.
The B2B session was also to build engagements with the media in an effort to create a stronger Sarawak brand presence in East Kalimantan and to increase awareness about Sarawak products and destinations to the region.
In her welcoming remarks, STB director of Marketing (ASEAN & Domestic) Barbara Benjamin Atan stated that the networking sessions provide an opportunity to keep Sarawak top of mind for East Kalimantan stakeholders while promoting Sarawak’s rich land against the fascinating backdrop of adventure, nature festivals, food, and its variety of unique tourism products.
“With a surge in international travels, it is a perfect opportunity for Sarawak and the East Kalimantan tourism stakeholders to come together to refresh and relook at their efforts in boosting Sarawak as a preferred tourism destination choice,” she said.
She went on to say that one of the attractions for the market in East Kalimantan is Sarawak health tourism which offers affordable and high quality services.
“Before the pandemic period, Indonesia was the largest contributor with more than 53,000 health tourists to Sarawak.
“The transfer of the capital of Indonesia from Jakarta to Kalimantan will also be an important factor to facilitate potential health tourists to seek treatment in Sarawak given the nearby geographical position,” she added.
Apart from MHTC and TM Jakarta, other participating agencies in the sessions include Normah Medical Specialist Centre, Khaimal Borneo Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd, Hemisphere Corporation Sdn Bhd, and Damai Beach Resort.
The ‘Sarawak A Journey Awaits’ roadshow in East Kalimantan takes place in Samarinda today at the Mercure Hotel City Centre and in Balikpapan tomorrow (Nov 23) at the Grand Senyiur Hotel. — DayakDaily
