Sarawak gears up to woo more Middle Eastern tourists in 2022

SARAWAK Tourism Board (STB) plans to have constant activities to create awareness about the state in the Middle East region in 2022 after receiving encouraging responses to its tourism offerings during promotional activities held during the Dubai Expo 2020.

According to STB’s marketing director Mary Wan Mering, STB’s booth had received exciting requests for Sarawak to be included in their tour packages from potential buyers and industry players in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

“Over the past one week, many have expressed their interest in Sarawak’s adventure and nature-based packages as they have shown great keenness for the state’s lush rainforests and national parks such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mulu National Park, home to the magnificent Pinnacles and the world’s largest cave chamber,” she pointed out.

“I am happy to know that most travel agents from our B2B (business-to-business) sessions are already aware about Malaysia, therefore it would be a great opportunity to promote Sarawak as a must-visit destination in the country alongside Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah.”

STB’s participation at Week 13 (Ecotourism Week) of EXPO 2020 Dubai from Dec 26 to Jan 1 at the Malaysian Pavilion is aimed at penetrating the Middle East market, tapping the large population of expatriates living in the UAE who are mostly from Europe, the US and other Asian countries.

The Ecotourism Week at the Malaysia Pavilion showcase was launched on Dec 29 by Malaysian Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri who also visited STB’s booth.

Showcasing the CANFF (Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival) of Sarawak with responsible tourism and sustainability in focus, the main event was the Beauty of Sarawak talk show that featured Mary on Dec 30.

The celebration of all things Sarawak continues at the Malaysia Day ceremony on Jan 9 at the EXPO. Miss Universe Malaysia who is Sarawak’s very own Francisca Luhong James is expected to make an appearance at the event where she will be participating at the country parade, the official dinner and the Malaysia Truly Asia concert.

Meanwhile, an envoy from the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak led by its Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah will be visiting EXPO 2020 Dubai from Jan 6-10. This will further strengthen Sarawak’s presence among Malaysia’s participation at the EXPO.

The third largest global event in terms of economic and cultural impact after the Olympics and the World Cup, EXPO 2020 Dubai is held from Oct 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022 with 192 participating countries, attracting some 25 million visitors.

Originally scheduled in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, the organisers maintained the name ‘EXPO 2020 Dubai’ for marketing and branding purposes.

With the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the EXPO is divided into three compelling districts – Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability – that presents the diversity of culture, art, entertainment of different nations in the world in a futuristic approach. – Jan 4, 2022

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