IN 2022, a number of tourism-related events were held across the state, which made Sarawak appear to be very lively.
From music to art, the organisation of related festivals has drawn many festival-goers from within and outside the country, resulting in a surge in the number of tourists visiting Sarawak.
The Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Ministry (MTCP) felt that the tourism, arts, and culture industries were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the lifting of travel restrictions.
Visitors to Sarawak increased by 1118.41 per cent from January to October last year, to 1,378,017, compared to the same period in 2021.
In light of this, its minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah asserted that the ministry hoped to welcome 3 million tourists in 2023 and produce RM7.25 billion in tourism-related revenue.
With the support and active involvement of various players and stakeholders in the tourism industry, MTCP and its agencies have been putting short-term recovery measures for the tourism, arts, and culture industries into action.
Festivals, international beauty pageants and sporting events all fall under the category of tourism. These involve joint collaborations between related ministries, implementing agencies, and local councils and organisations to support many local tourism, arts, and culture events throughout 2022.
Such events, said Abdul Karim, would draw more inbound tourists, produce economic spill overs for the community, and garner media attention abroad.
“After the unprecedented decline in 2020 and 2021, international tourism is expected to continue its gradual recovery in 2022, as an increasing number of destinations ease or lift travel restrictions and the confidence to travel returns.”
“We are confident that Sarawak will receive an estimated 1.8 million visitors by the end of the year, surpassing our target of 1.2 million visitors for 2022.
“While international tourism slowly bounces back, domestic tourism will continue to drive the recovery of the state’s tourism industry,” he said during his winding up speech at the recently concluded of the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.
One of the highlighted events, the first-ever Borneo Music Festival Live 2022 at the Sarawak Cultural Village, attracted some 14,000 attendees.
The two-day festival, which was held in September, featured performers from six different nations and attendees from the local party-goers as well as Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Australia, and the United States.
The festival was ended by renowned Norwegian DJ/producer Alan Walker, who made his Sarawak debut and performed songs like ‘Faded’, ‘Alone’ and ‘All Falls Down’, in addition to other well-known hits.
Main entrance of the iconic Rainforest World Music Festival 2022 at Sarawak Cultural Village. Photo: Mohd Alif NoniOn the same note, the iconic Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) exceeded attendance expectations, pointing to a bright future for Sarawak’s tourism sector recovery.
The festival, which took place in June and commemorated its 25th anniversary while also being presented in a hybrid format, had 16,049 physical attendees over the course of three days.
This year’s RWMF featured 60 performers from 20 countries under the theme ‘Legendary Rainforest Celebration.’
Among those performing at the Rainforest World Music Festival in 2022. Photos: Mohd Alif Noni
Not only that, Sarawak held its annual Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF) in Miri immediately following the RWMF, drawing 3,817 visitors.
The 17th edition of the festival, themed ‘Jazz in the Jungle’, was held in a hybrid for the first time to reach out to the larger jazz-loving community worldwide.
While the evening concerts were the main attraction of the event, the music festival did not lack other fringe activities in which members of the public could participate.
The RWMF and BJF 2022, said Abdul Karim, had achieved a total of over 27.43 million impressions on digital reach, with over 67,000 unique clicks being recorded throughout the campaign, with age groups of 25 to 45 years comprising 88 per cent of all clicks.
Meanwhile, Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival, also known as Kuching Jazz, returned to town after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, which took place in October, featured Indonesian singer Afgansyah Reza, also known by his stage name Afgan, on the final day.
Music enthusiasts from Kuching, the rest of the state of Sabah, West Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei showed up in large numbers for the two-day festival, which was well received.
Crowds throng the most awaited annual event, the Rainforest World Music Festival 2022. Photos: Mohd Alif Noni
Last but not least, the month of December was enlivened with the Sunbear Music and Arts Festival 2022, which promised great music and great vibes.
Malaysian pop-punk band Bunkface performed the event’s opening set, rocking the crowd with their greatest hits.
Over 43 performing acts were scheduled for the two-day festival, which would eventually recognise Sarawak as a leading festival destination on the island of Borneo.
Speaking at the press conference for the Sunbear Music and Arts Festival 2022 at Baitul Makmur II in Petra Jaya on November, Abdul Karim said the event would help develop industry sectors and boost state revenues.
He added that the event aimed to encourage Sarawak’s diverse local talents to perform on the same stage as international artistes who have achieved global acclaim.
In addition to making Sarawak a prime festival hotspot in Borneo, the event hopes to become a yearly event that will showcase performances by local and international musicians, a food parade, and workshops for local arts and crafts.
As such, MTCP’s mission is for ‘Sarawak to be a Premier Tourism Destination and A Showcase of Unique Arts and Culture’.
And in order to carry out the vision, its mission is ‘To lead the advancement of Sarawak’s Tourism, Arts and Culture’.
The MTCP hopes its policies, strategies, promotions, engagement, capacity building, and product development will not only aid local industry players in reviving tourism, the arts, and culture as we enter the endemic phase of COVID-19, but also turn into opportunities for the local communities to profit from tourism, the arts, and culture through active participation.
