KUCHING, Jan 12: Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) ‘Sarawak A Journey Awaits’ Business Networking Session (B2B) endeavours to promote Sarawak eco-tourism to its West Malaysia counterparts.
STB Deputy CEO, Suriya Charles Buas in a statement today said it was the first B2B event organised this year with 18 agents from The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) Perak Chapter and representatives from Firefly.
“With the tourism sector’s recovery get underway, STB will focus on conversion and growth from the domestic market,” he said.
According to Suriya, domestic visitor arrivals to Sarawak ranked first on the list with more than one million arrivals recorded from the period of January to December 2022.
He said this marked a significant 662.03 per cent growth from the same time period in 2021 kicking off a good target for 2023 for overall target of three million arrivals.
He also said Sarawak offers wide variety to West Malaysian visitors, even more so now with the surge of demand for eco-tourism products after the pandemic.
“Sarawak holds a lot of potential in offering green travel to the market with priceless flora and fauna endemic to Borneo, majestic waterfalls, captivating caves and mouth-watering food.
“Collaborations between Kuching Sarawak and Ipoh, Perak would potentially increase Sarawak’s visibility and product awareness for travel partners in Perak to stay connected with potential markets as we “Come back Stronger” and move beyond the pandemic,” he added.
This year’s B2B first ever session coincided with the MATTA Perak Chapter’s Familiarisation Trip to Kuching from Jan 8 to 10 to further expose visitors to Sarawak unique products including the biggest museum in Malaysia; the Borneo Cultures Museum, Sarawak River Cruise trip, Semadang Kayaking, trip to Bau for Paku Maze Garden and to the charming town of Siniawan. — DayakDaily
