KUCHING: The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts has achieved 3 per cent of its total target after securing 27 business events worth RM74.6 million in estimated total economic impact, RM40.5 million in direct delegate expenditure and 5,919 job opportunities this year.
“This number is expected to rise as we strive for more business events that yield greater results,” said Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
“Business events are gradually being reactivated as SOPs are further relaxed. This has greatly encouraged industry players after such a long halt to their businesses and activities.
“To help the tourism industry to recover post COVID-19, my Ministry will continue with homegrown events with stringent precautionary and prevention measures to ensure that Sarawak continues to be a safe destination for both international and domestic delegates.
“Besides, incentives were introduced to encourage home grown business events, continuous capacity building and attending virtual marketplaces or travel marts to prepare for the return of tourists,” he explained.
He said this when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the DUN sitting on today.
Abdul Karim said in 2021, the business events industry through Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) achieved 92 per cent of its target with a total of 115 secured events amounting to RM287.6 million in estimated total economic impact, RM156.3 million in direct delegate expenditure, RM17.3 million in tax revenue, and 22,824 long and short term job opportunities.
“Some of the highlights of BESarawak scheduled Homegrown Events in 2022 are Borneo Digitech Forum 2022, Business Transformation Forum 2022, Modern Farming and Agricultural Forum 2022, Rabies in Borneo Conference (RIB) 2022 and Taste of Borneo Conference 2022,” he added.
