KUCHING, March 10: Sarawak expects to generate RM10.5 million in total sales from participating in the world’s largest tourism trade fair, ITB Berlin 2023, in Germany.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) said the board and its trade partners managed to clinch 52 new leads to promote Sarawak, which it hoped to be realised this year.
“STB projected these leads would result in 20 per cent growth in sales from the European market. The total sales expected to be generated from ITB Berlin 2023 were estimated at RM10.5 million for 2023 and beyond,” it said in a media release today.
During the fair, which commenced from March 7 to 9, visitors tasted Sarawak’s unique plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals (CANFF), opened new leads and created strong interest and positive perception of Sarawak.
The Pavilion also showcased various aspects of Sarawak’s multi-ethnic communities, natural ecosystems, and diverse flora and fauna to ensure continuous ‘Discovery of Sarawak’.
At the same time, STB signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a tourism and travel agency Tischler Reisen AG as a collaborative effort to boost Sarawak’s visibility towards becoming a preferred destination among the people of Germany and surrounding European markets, both offline and online with the best travel agencies, involving some 600 agencies in Germany.
Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP), Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said Sarawak is targeting three million visitor arrivals for this year after the region recorded growth of more than 800 per cent tourism receipts last year at RM4 billion, compared to RM500 million for 2021.
“Events and festivals are essential to Sarawak’s tourism industry to establish its image as a cultural destination further. One such event is, of course, our internationally renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) which will be held from June 23 to 25 this year.
“Recognising that festivals have a massive carbon footprint and that waste has generated one of the most prominent environmental impacts, proactive measures have been taken towards creating and implementing a sustainable, eco-friendly festival for the RWMF,” he said during the event.
The three-day fair also saw Sarawak unveil its new destination video entitled ‘Sarawak…Now More Than Ever’ as well as video presentations on Sarawak’s adventure products such as cycling, trekking and caving activities and promotion of the RWMF 2023.
In upholding the ‘Responsible Tourism’ agenda, Sarawak tourism players adopt eco-friendly practices in their tourism products, such as encouraging bicycle rides in rural areas or enjoying birdwatching in Sarawak’s lush rainforests apart from promoting homestays, encouraging consumption of local food, and highlighting local handicrafts and arts in their effort to sustain the local way of life.
Supporting Sarawak Tourism Board’s efforts in Berlin were its key strategic partners, namely Authentic Borneo Tours, Borneo Adventure, Business Events Sarawak (Sarawak Convention Bureau), CPH Travel Agencies (Sarawak), Greatown Travel, Happy Trails Borneo Tours, Hemisphere Hospitality, Paradesa Borneo, Smart Leisure & Travels and Tropical Adventure.
For more information about Sarawak, visit https://www.sarawaktourism.com/. — DayakDaily
