AMID the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) in Santubong has been planting local vegetables and herbal plants, introduced new tourism packages and undertaking food deliveries in order to generate income.
Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Tourism and Hospitality Division managing director Mark Ferguson said that the vegetables planted around the SVC compound are either for sale or to be cooked in its own kitchen and served to customers.
He noted that the pandemic was actually a blessing in disguise as the situation allowed them to relook into the tourism products and develop them to benefit their businesses as well as the state’s tourism industry.
“Currently, we are cultivating the herbal and orchard garden in SCV, which would take a few months. In the meantime, we are doing our best to sustain the business while keeping our staff number intact during this very difficult time,” Ferguson said.
“While we expect international travellers to return soon, we have to focus on domestic travellers for now,” he added.
According to Ferguson, the SEDC Tourism and Hospitality Division is also facing grim prospects in the new global economic landscape, with the hotel occupancy rate dropping about 10%.
“However, our resorts have benefited in some way from local tourists, especially during weekends. We hope to capitalise on local tourism when the conditional movement control order (CMCO) ended in the Kuching district,” he said. – Dec 5, 2020
